Chapter 2
They board the plane and Josephine insists the men sit together and she sits with Olivia.
Joe, her sister in-law is a tall slim woman with hair dyed in a colour that can only be described as burgundy with fuchsia undertones.
"This will be so much fun my dear, we have not gone away in an age. We must have a girls day at the spa and allow the Mansfield boys to have a round of golf."
"That will be nice…"
"Of course it will my dear, I know that over the years we have not got on as well as we should but you are just so darn unusual…I mean so serious about work all the time. It's as if the fate of the world depended on you abandoning your family and making it in to that office of your's…poor dear."
"Well, I suppose it would seem that way but…"
"Tut tut…such a strain, you taking the reins of the family and sacrificing your family life for the government my dear…what was it that you do my dear? Well whatever it is you must be struggling to keep up with all this change…I mean even the bloody phones are unbelievably confusing…you must have some young co-worker come and help you run all the computers and fax machines you have to deal with."
"Well I have a secretary that…"
"Yes, you would have to have someone to help it would be a nightmare for someone our age to deal with all that nightmarish techie stuff."
"I manage quite well."
"Well, that is to be expected. You have always been an intelligent girl…Marshall has always claimed that you were the brightest of the bunch of us. To tell you the truth Olivia my dear, I have always been a tad jealous of you…I mean Marshall has always made such eyes at you... it use to send me into a tizzy but then again you were young and lovely then. Our men have aged well haven't they?"
"Yes they have."
"Both of them stayed fit and kept all their hair…that is the key I always say. A paunchy bald man…that is what my sister ended up with. Most of the club women that I take time with are in the same boat. I tell you old women like us outnumber the men at least two to one. I have to practically beat them off my Marshall. I'm sure it is the same for you and Nigel. Your girlfriends are likely drooling over him."
"Well…"
"But we must fight to keep their attention after all this time and these fashions of the day…the women, even women in their forties and fifties are wearing the shortest of skirts…I mean in our day a woman of that age would not ever be caught in such a state."
"They do seem to stay younger than…"
"Well, yes they are because of all the creams and surgery…I know a woman our age that has gone under the knife twice now…her face is so tight and her breasts…well... she just says that they were lifted but I think there is a little something extra added if you know what I mean…but of course you would never have to worry about such a thing having always struggled with being well endowed."
"I wouldn't call it much of a struggle..,"
"Well I dare say you have just come accustom to the stares of men…truly the first thing men must notice about you. I swear to you I asked Marshall about what you looked like before I, myself had the pleasure. I asked him to describe you and he blushed right away I knew you were well endowed because of his reaction. I asked him what colour your hair was and he managed to remember you were a blonde but to this day I swear the man has no clue what colour your eyes are and I have always thought your eyes are your best feature my dear."
"Thank you Joe…I have always admired your height."
"Of course you have... I could never abide being short it would be such a challenge…I have no idea how you cope my dear."
M began to plan exactly where to bury Nigel, Tanner and Eve's body as she massages her temples and excuses herself to use the WC. On her way back to her seat she pauses by the men.
"Nigel love…It is now your turn to sit with Josephine and catch up while I discuss eye colour with your brother…there's a dear don't keep her waiting she may die of shock from the lack of conversation."
Nigel stands to give her his seat rolling his eyes at her. "I would love to darling."
Nigel turns to his brother. "Don't make any moves on her while I'm gone big brother or I'll tell Joe some interesting stories about your younger days."
Marshall smiled. "What if I charm her into making the move baby brother…oh and I can still take you."
"Olivia don't fall for any of his lines…he has a million of them."
Olivia plops into his vacated seat and smiles at her brother in-law. "My god Marshall does she talk that fast to you?"
"I learned to block it all out now my dear…why do you want to discuss eye colouring with me?"
Olivia laughs. "Your wife told me that when she asked you to describe my appearance and you could not tell her the colour of my eyes... then she knew that I was well endowed."
"At least she is trying to bond with you now Olivia…she has given up on the spiteful jealousy that accompanies the insecurity of youth. I did manage to tell her that you were blonde even if I didn't know what lovely shade of blue your eyes are…see... I knew the answer."
The two of them chuckle good heartedly.
"I know…she told me as much but I never realized that bonding with her would be utterly exhausting. Anyway, now that we are in our late 60's there is no longer any threat of me seducing you away from her."
"Christ Olivia you still could if you like…just give me a wink and a come hither look and I'm yours my dear…if only Nigel would share. I mean the nerve of him…I always had to share my toys with him…even got him his first girlfriend. It's the least he could do really."
Olivia swats Marshall's arm as a tear escapes from her eye. "You're a bad, dangerous man Marshall."
"Do you like bad, and dangerous men Olivia?"
"Oh…you have no idea, my dear."
"I think I may have some idea…there are only a few government organization that would allow you to work past retirement age as you have my dear. I am a fairly observant man unless distracted by...certain endowments and I seem to recall a few incidents in our shared past experiences that involved being followed by mysterious men in black and.."
"Marshall…stop right there." Olivia grasped his hand and looked into his eyes intently. "Not another word."
Marshall's eyes went wide with the confirmation of his suspicions about his sister in-law.
"Never speak of that again…ever…and especially to Joe. Did Nigel?"
"Just tiny hints over the years dear…nothing concrete or deliberate."
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They finally arrive at the resort and get their cabins. The cabins are staggering to give an illusion of privacy. They're situated in groupings of 4 and surrounded by vegetation with small paths towards the main building and other cabins.
They are each situated directly on the beach. Olivia speaks to the concierge and collects a few messages waiting there for her from Tanner and Eve.
"Can you tell me the names of the people in the other cabin near us?"
"Not the names per se but one is a honey mooning couple from France and the other has just been reserved by a single person who has not yet arrived."
"Thank you."
The two Mansfield couples walk to their cabins and agree to meet later for dinner after unpacking and a nap.
Olivia wants a stiff drink as she pats the bag under her arm reassuringly that she purchased at duty-free before leaving London. She should have made Nigel buy one too…this is going to be a long two weeks.
Tanner and Eve both sent cards saying relax and enjoy. Olivia will have them killed later…the method depending on the level of in-law hell she's about to endure.
There had better be enough Scotch on this rum soaked Island for the fortnight M is captive here.
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Bond's seated at the back of the plane but can stretch up enough to see the top of her head as she sits with her sister in-law he gathers. He texts Tanner and Eve to tell them of the in-law surprise and how they should make themselves scarce upon M's return.
Bond smiles at the thought that it is not him that has stepped in it this time. He ducks behind his magazine as she makes her way back to use the facilities. M changes seats with her husband, forcing him to go sit with the woman.
M's sister in-law must be something to send her fleeing to the back. Bond's one of the few people not plugged into a device three rows behind her now so he can make out the man…Marshall she calls him flirting with her shamelessly.
M swats his arm laughing as her brother in-law asks her if she likes dangerous…bad men?
Then their conversation becomes quieter and the answer is left to Bond's imagination. He decides to close his eyes and picturing the relaxed way Olivia's eyes would be sparkling as she laughs with the flirtatious man who is her husband's brother from the glimpse he got of him.
The Mansfield men are tall and well-built with thick silver hair. The brother in-law is broader in the shoulder and about an inch taller. Both men wear glasses and are fairly handsome. M did well in the marriage department but then so did her husband.
Marriage is such a foreign concept to James that when he has considered the idea in his musings or in his dreams, it is always her or someone just like her that he imagines as a perfect wife for him.
James signals the flirty blonde sky waitress for drink or five…he needs to drown the image of being married to M out of his mind. The blonde brings the drink and she asks him if he is free for the night in Jamaica.
"No…I am with another party that I'm meeting there."
"Your girlfriend?"
"Yes…well,more like a wife actually."
Where the hell did that just come from?
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After disembarking the plane James hangs back carefully so that she cannot see him. Bond does manage to catch a cab and make his way behind the van taking M's party to the resort. He watches them check in and then moves to the counter after they depart.
There are four cabins and Bond has the first along the train. M's is next followed by the in-laws and the honeymooners. James will make the rounds once he unpacks, has a shower and a rest.
Bond walks along the path to look at the other two cabins. They are secure and the French couple is making love and unlikely to have much interaction with M so the threat level is very low. It does not bother Bond in the least seeing the two copulate for a moment while he did his surveillance. It is often part of the job and does not affect him.
Bond circles M's cabin looking at all the access points and checking the path around and vantage points for him to observe the cabin. He moves forward to check the windows careful not to be seen. Moving around to the bedroom window Bond freezes.
M is emerging from the bath wrapped in a robe. Nigel is still dressed and lying on the bed looking at some brochures.
"Are you ready to unwrap your surprize...the one you bought for me but is really yourself Nigel?"
"Oh yes please...come here my sexy wife."
Bond should leave...really...leave... his legs should move him away from the window, immediately. Christ who is he kidding he wants to see this.
Nigel kneels on the bed as she moves forward. He unties the robe and pushes the offending article off her shoulders. Nigel's body is blocking his view and Bond has to stop himself from banging on the window so he will move out-of-the-way for James to see her.
"Christ!" Damn, he hopes that was a whisper not a yell. They don't turn towards him so it must have been under his breath. M is in a black negligée with a lace bodice and satin and lace skirt that is so short...
bang bang bang.
"Nigel...Olivia it's Josephine and Marshall. Are you descent? Do you want to share a drink with us before dinner?"
If Bond was her husband at this moment he would shoot them both.
Nigel's hand is caressing her shoulder as M lowers her head to his chest throwing her arms up in exasperation.
Nigel jumps out of bed and heads for the door but not before looking back at her with such a powerful look of longing and disappointment that it physically hurts Bond.
"Get dressed my dear and we will be continuing this after dinner."
"We're doomed aren't we?"
"I will be talking to my brother about this...I unlike him, I still want my wife...no wait he has always desired my wife also."
M swats his arm playfully. "Nigel stop that."
"Olivia I know my brother and he has always wanted to jump your bones...what can I say you have the Mansfield men twisted around your little finger...minx."
Nigel pulls her into a quick but passionate kiss and then exits the room yelling. "Coming you two."
M sighs and turns to pick out some clothes and goes into the bath."
Bond releases the breath he did not realize he was holding. That was...
Bond's affected greatly by what he saw through that window...after all these years he still loves her passionately...that is something special but then M is something special.
James feels rather jealous and that is an unusual feeling for him. He will have to give them their privacy...he does not want to see or hear them make love. Bond couldn't take it...he has never felt this way about a mission before.