Alex had enjoyed little contact with females of the species previously, having been educated at an all-boys school and having worked at Inkerman’s, where few girls were employed and none were at the executive level. He had seen the girls at the Grange from afar when he was in Hampshire, but he’d never had the opportunity to talk with them.
Teddy was a slim girl; her recently styled, soft hair curled around her heart-shaped face. Her intensely blue eyes were thoughtful, even almost academic. She was surrounded with an air of assertiveness that some men would find disconcerting, but, to Alex, there was a delicacy that overshadowed all else, and a womanliness that sent his blood pumping around his body. He felt both nervous and reckless, and that moment in the lift where an affectionate peck had developed into so much more, both worried and excited him.
She sat down on the sofa and patted the cushion beside her as an invitation for Alex to join her; he felt entirely out of his depth as he joined Teddy on the sofa. Something stirred within him, and the primal beast that exists in all men when in close contact with an attractive girl gradually awoke for the first time.
‘What a fabulous night,’ she said, sipping her drink.
Alex caressed her hand, and Teddy rested her head on his shoulder. They talked and learned about each other for nearly two hours, which flew by and was only interrupted by the occasional need to refresh their drinks. Alex discovered that Teddy was just slightly younger than he, having been born in January 1918. She had been packed off to a girl’s boarding school just outside Guildford at the first opportunity, at the insistence of her father, who seemed to resent having sired a girl and chose not to have much to do with her. Teddy found sanctuary at school and discovered the atmosphere considerably more cordial than the strict military discipline that her father imposed at home. She had little time for her father but loved her mother, and reminisced that Toby had felt much the same.
At seventeen she had been taken out of school and sent to be “finished” at a villa in the hills outside Lausanne in Switzerland. The school was intended to polish the rough edges from Teddy, so that she could be married off to an acceptable suitor – and the word “acceptable” to her father meant a junior officer of the regiment, who had prospects. To appease him, she had met three or four young gentlemen, but the experiences had hardened her resolve to resist any marriage that was either arranged by or met with the approval of her father.
Exasperated at her wilfulness, Teddy’s father settled an annual allowance on her and had spoken fewer than a dozen words to her since he had irritatingly dismissed her from his presence.
Teddy explained that she was the youngest of four children; Toby had been a year older than she, and her two other brothers, Timothy and Tristan, were a few years older still, and both in their father’s old regiment. Timothy, the firstborn, was a captain, and Tristan was a lieutenant.
She learned more of Alex’s adventures during his early life, and appeared enthralled that he was probably a hereditary count of Imperial Russia and a little disappointed when he explained that the title was meaningless, since the revolution had seized the family’s lands, and deprived him of his birthright. There were more dispossessed aristocrats in London at that time than fleas on a dog, and Alex was quite low in their pecking order.
There was an easiness that existed between Alex and Teddy, and as dawn’s early light started to brighten the room, Teddy’s head lay on Alex’s lap, and he was stroking her hair in a casual but caring manner.
Suddenly, Teddy raised herself and kissed Alex on the lips. ‘Come on,’ she said, ‘we’ve been talking for ages, and if I don’t get some sleep, I shall look an absolute shambles later.’
Alex was sad that the evening was ending, and he rose from the sofa before extending a hand to help Teddy get to her feet. Rather than letting go, she pulled Alex towards her and kissed him passionately before leading him towards her bedroom. Alex, as would a faithful puppy, followed unquestioningly.
In the bedroom, the desire became more ardent, and, in a moment of parting for breath, Alex admitted rather self-consciously, ‘Actually, I’m not awfully experienced with girls.’
Teddy leaned backwards, looked at Alex’s face, with her hands locked behind his neck, and said innocently, ‘Why, Mr Carlton, you wouldn’t be suggesting that I am experienced, would you?’
Alex became flustered. ‘No, no, of course not, it’s just that—’
‘Great Scott,’ said Teddy, ‘I do believe that you are embarrassed! My darling, when you said that you were “not awfully experienced”, did you mean not experienced at all?’
Alex pulled her towards him and whispered gently in her ear, ‘Er, yes, not frightfully experienced at all, but I do learn terribly quickly.’ He kissed her ardently.
Teddy pushed Alex onto the bed, shrugged the silk dressing gown from her shoulders in the same movement, and then lay down beside him; their kissing resumed, intense but gentle, with each discovering the other. Teddy slid out of bed and slipped out of the silk pyjamas, kicking them to join the dressing gown in a dishevelled heap on the bedroom floor. She stood for a moment to allow Alex to appreciate her naked body, and he savoured the sight of her breasts, which were perfectly proportioned to her slim and lithe form. He reached out his hand and took hers, and pulled her gently towards him. Teddy unbuttoned his shirt and slipped her hand inside, caressing his chest, and, with her forefinger, she drew circles in his wiry chest hair.
Feeling that he ought to contribute to the proceedings, Alex slipped out of his braces and unbuttoned his trousers. Teddy began kissing his chest lightly, moving towards his waist, which she slid her hands over; she hooked his trousers and underpants, and slipped them from his body in one movement. Alex lifted himself slightly, pulled his shirt and vest over his head, and discarded them on the floor.
‘My, my, Mr Carlton, what a handsome gentleman you are!’ she declared before their lips met again.
Their hands caressed each other, lightly stroking and discovering each other’s bodies. Teddy pressed on Alex’s shoulders, so he was lying on his back, and straddled his body in one deft movement. She leaned forwards and kissed his lips, and, in a trice, they coupled.
Teddy moved rhythmically and gently, they simultaneously reached the peak of emotion, quietly, intensely and with a passion that neither had previously experienced. Without unlocking her lips from his, Teddy rolled off Alex, and they held each other in post-coital rapture.
In this position, Teddy whispered sensually, ‘Happy birthday, Alex Carlton.’
Then they each fell soundly asleep.
XII
The first to wake was Alex, and he looked adoringly at Teddy in the morning light that was streaming through the bedroom window; while gazing at the purity of her nakedness, he fell in love. She stirred as he withdrew his arm to go to the bathroom, where he washed and, using his forefinger on which he had sprinkled some tooth powder, succeeded in freshening his mouth. When he returned to the bedroom, Teddy roused and awoke.
‘Good morning, my love,’ Alex greeted Teddy, venturing to describe her so after their first lovemaking.
She smiled and held out her hand to him; as he took it, she pulled him back to bed. Their mouths met, and they again made love with a passion and desire that was so intense that it left each panting with longing for more. The eruption, when it occurred, caused both to squeal in ecstasy. They lay in each other’s arms, not talking, just savouring the moment and appreciating the glory of the time they had enjoyed.
Eventually, Alex pushed himself onto his elbow and, gazing into Teddy’s blue eyes, he merely said, ‘Thank you.’
Teddy smiled. ‘No,’ she responded, ‘thank you!’ She slipped out of bed, and, after gathering her nightclothes, she went to the bathroom and drew a bath. After sliding into the waters fragranced by some exotic bath salts, Teddy called to Alex, asking the time.
‘It’s 10.45am,’ Alex respond
ed.
Teddy asked him to bring her a fresh towel from the chest of drawers in the hallway. Alex went and selected a suitable bath towel, and having knocked on the bathroom door, pushed it ajar and dangled the towel inside.
‘Oh, come on in, silly, and hang it over the radiator to warm,’ suggested Teddy.
So Alex entered the bathroom, and he did as she asked. Teddy reached out her hand, and Alex, still as naked as God intended, stepped towards the bath and took Teddy’s proffered hand, kissing it gently. He bent forwards and kissed her gently on the lips before announcing, ‘I really should be going.’
Teddy looked at him with sadness in her eyes and said, ‘Really? I hoped we might spend the day together.’
Alex desperately wanted to spend the day together with Teddy, and so he suggested, ‘Let me call home, and if the navy has not sent out a search patrol for me, I will ring Simon to see whether they can spare me.’
Alex telephoned his mother, who was worried that her son had not returned after his birthday celebrations; he reassured her that he was fine and that he would see her later in the day. He then telephoned Simon Potts at the War Office and discovered that the office did not expect Simon in that day, but he did give Miss Willoughby Teddy’s number just in case anything of an urgent nature came up. Alex went back to the bathroom and told Teddy that, on the proviso that war was not declared imminently, nobody seemed to want him.
‘Well,’ said Teddy beguilingly, ‘they might not, but I most certainly do!’
Teddy found a new razor blade and an old razor that had once belonged to Toby for the occasional night that he stayed over, and, after having poured boiling water over it in an attempt at cleaning and sterilisation, she presented it to Alex so that he might shave. He washed, shaved and combed his hair before dressing in the discarded clothing from the floor in the bedroom.
‘I ought to go home and get changed before we do anything,’ he suggested, ‘This is hardly daywear. Afterwards, what would you care to do?’
‘I could always teach you how to drive your birthday present from your uncle,’ she suggested.
‘You can drive?’ Alex was astonished.
‘Well don’t sound so shocked!’ Teddy said, ‘Women do, you know! Toby taught me as an act of defiance, because Father said that it was unseemly for women to drive. We even used to drive down to Farningham, and he often took me up in an aeroplane, so I learned how to fly also! I enjoy driving, actually, so if you really would like to know how to drive, I can show you.’
‘That would be marvellous,’ Alex declared enthusiastically, amazed at how much this young slip of a girl had achieved in her life.
*
It was lunchtime by the time Alex and Teddy arrived at Onslow Gardens, and although it did not take long for Alex to change, it was quite enough time for his mother to interrogate Teddy about the night before, after she and Uncle Walter had left. Teddy was most charming, saying that the party had ended up at her apartment eventually, where Alex had fallen asleep on the sofa. When Teddy told Alex what she said, he understood that it was more to protect her virtue than his, and he was happy to go along with the story.
They collected the Alvis from the garage in the mews behind Onslow Gardens, to which the dealership had delivered it the previous day, and Teddy drove them both proficiently along the A12 towards Wanstead.
When they found a quiet area, Teddy pulled over, and they swapped seats. Teddy gave Alex excellent instruction about how to drive the motorcar, and he was soon keen to try it himself. The first two attempts to drive off were disastrous, as his coordination with the clutch, accelerator and brake was non-existent, and he kangaroo jumped along the road. However, he soon picked up the ability to drive off without shuddering their teeth and bones. Before long, Alex was whipping up and down the gears, and accelerating on straight roads, and it was not long before Teddy felt confident enough to release her grip on the passenger seat.
‘There you go; driving is easy, and all you have to do now is pass the driving test,’ she declared.
‘Actually,’ responded Alex, ‘I am not sure that will be necessary.’
‘Why ever not?’ Teddy asked, ‘Surely you want to drive yourself? I am not sure that I see my future as your permanent chauffeuse!’
‘Of course,’ Alex confirmed, ‘but I read in the paper somewhere that driving tests are suspended as from this Saturday; it said something about freeing up examiners for more important work. Perhaps I can apply for a military licence?’
They swapped seats again, Teddy drove them back to town, and they put the car back into the garage in the mews behind Onslow Gardens.
‘All this driving has made me frightfully hungry,’ announced Teddy, ‘if we go and have an early dinner, we can watch the new Busby Berkeley musical at the Plaza in Piccadilly afterwards.’
*
Probably because of the early hour, Alex and Teddy were lucky enough to secure a table at the Criterion restaurant in Piccadilly Circus, right opposite the cinema that they planned to visit. Throughout the meal, Alex gazed at Teddy lovingly, and entirely forgot to eat much of the food that he had ordered. After dessert, Alex plucked up the courage to broach a subject that had been niggling him throughout the day, but his courage had deserted him whenever he had come close to discussing it. He could resist no longer.
‘Darling,’ he began, ‘you know that I have joined the Royal Navy, and I am waiting to hear about my posting. I am not expecting it to be an active posting on a ship, as it would seem that I have talents that the service believe would be better served elsewhere.
‘Last night and today, in your company, I am completely smitten.’ He realised how ridiculous he was starting to sound. ‘I actually believe that I have fallen in love, and I want to be with you forever, but I think that Herr Hitler is likely to separate us, about which I am very worried.’
He took a hand and held it gently. ‘My question is whether there is hope that you feel likewise?’
Teddy could resist no longer, and her guffaw of laughter showered Alex with the gateau that she had been eating when the laugh surfaced. Alex, who had bared his soul, was almost insulted.
‘Oh, my dearest Alex, I am so sorry,’ she apologised while sponging the cake from his jacket with her napkin. ‘I wondered if I had been too forward, but I fell in love with you that very first time we saw each other at Toby’s party, and the fact that Toby is dead has strengthened my resolve to seize the day. I feel as if we have known each other for most of our lives… It is just that we have never met before.
‘Hope? Of course, there is no hope. Hope disappeared last night and is now a certainty. Alex, you ninny, I have fallen in love with you as well, and you cannot imagine how much I wanted you to tell me the same.’
The sponging endeavour ceased briefly as she pulled Alex across the table by his tie, and they sealed their love there and then, in front of all the other diners, with a long and passionate kiss.
After what seemed like no time at all, they were interrupted by discreet ‘Ahem!’ from their waiter.
‘Excuse me, sir,’ the waiter continued, ‘but it would seem that a celebratory moment is upon us, so with the compliments of the management…’ And two champagne cocktails appeared as if from a conjurer’s sleeve.
Alex and Teddy sat down, and as restrained applause from other diners echoed around the restaurant, they blushed and buried themselves in their cocktails.
With their meal finished and the bill settled, they left the restaurant, and, dodging the traffic in Piccadilly Circus, they ran to the central island to pay their silent homage to Anteros – who was the Greek god of requited love, and the mythical son of Aphrodite and Ares – as he fired his arrow down Shaftesbury Avenue. Unlike his brother Eros, with whom he was often confused, Anteros celebrated love given and returned.
The cinema was nearly full by the time Alex and Teddy took their seats with
the aid of an usherette’s torch, past other patron’s legs, and they had just sat down when the Pathé newsreel began. Lord Halifax, Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, announced that Britain stood for the mutual rights of individual nations to exist without interference from others, and gave a clear and unambiguous message to Adolf Hitler that Germany should look to negotiate its differences with his neighbours, and that Britain stood ready to support Germany in this endeavour.
Under her breath, Teddy muttered the insult, ‘Judas!’
When Alex asked her to repeat what she had said, she waved him quiet with her hand. The newsreel continued to show how France and Britain were preparing for imminent war. There came the mournful wail of an air-raid siren that sent shivers down their spines, and footage showing students at St Bartholomew’s Hospital filling sandbags against bombs, British men signing up to defend their country against the foe, and the British ambassador to Germany returning with a message from the German Chancellor in a German aeroplane. Alex looked at Teddy, and saw tears brimming in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. He squeezed her hand and put his arm around her protectively
She looked at him, reached up, pulled him down and kissed him before saying, ‘Oh God, please take care wherever you may be; I cannot stand the thought of you being in danger. Please, Alex, promise me that you will take care.’
‘I shall, my darling, I promise you that I shall take care, and you must promise that also,’ he declared.
She took his hand and whispered, ‘I don’t think I could stand Busby Berkeley now; let’s leave.’
So, much to the annoyance of those patrons whose corns and bunions they had only just negotiated, they pushed their way to the aisle and left the cinema.
*
Back in Piccadilly Circus, the dog days of the British summer were living up to their reputation of drenching all who were foolish enough not to be indoors, so Alex slipped off his raincoat and placed it over Teddy’s shoulders before guiding her to the kerb so that they could hail a taxi. It took a while for a cab with its flag up to stop for them, and they fell onto the back seat as Teddy gave her address to the driver.
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