"Last one in is a chicken…" Trixie giggled as she divested herself of her cardigan and shoes, entirely uncaring that they were in the company of two men. Mind you not that either man, out of politeness, was looking as the girls, bar two, plunged into the pool. Lunch was over and they were all intending on enjoying the remainder of their afternoon and it was time to swim.
Watching them, with no intention of joining, Chummy smiled at their laughter and sheer enjoyment as she watched her friend's crash into the cooling water, splashing each other and floating about.
"If you want to swim in your underthings, I won't object" Peter whispered in her ear from his space beside her, relatively sure that she was the only person that heard him although slightly unsure whether he had crossed a line. The look on her face told him that no, he hadn't but he was really rather close.
"You will not find me in there, Constable" she replied haughtily, still watching everyone else wishing she could join in but knowing she wouldn't. "Not this side of forever". Chummy paused, wondering whether to chip in further but deciding to go for it. "You can if you like though…."
The challenge however was not going to be taken up; he being of the same view as her that there was frankly far too much company for things like that. They were both feeling the fact that they were a good few years older than anyone else there and if she didn't then he would follow suit. "I think in the alternative, a walk by the river might be more acceptable". It wasn't a question and without another word, he stood up and offered her his hand. With a quick word to Cynthia as to where they were going Peter helped his girlfriend off the grass, watching her brush down her skirt and happy to leave everyone else to it.
They headed away towards the trees, borrowing the spare picnic blanket to sit on and hearing the laughter subside as they moved further and further away. The river was just below the brow of a slope in the midst of a copse of trees that adorned the vast grounds and they were both drawn to the solitude.
The ground was dry as a bone but the bank was steeper than she liked as they stood at the top, pausing for a moment to listen to the water as it twinkled below them in the sun that was still bearing down on their backs. "Come on", Peter said, squeezing her hand and going to move, although he immediately felt resistance. He turned towards her seeing her hesitance. "Come on", he repeated.
Her smile was tense. "Don't run and pull me down with you".
Peter frowned. "I won't" he replied, comfortable enough now to be putting both hands on her hips, thumbs rubbing the belt of her dress just under the edge of her blue cardigan. "Steady as you like".
She smiled and with small steps she made it safely to the river's edge. Chummy wondered whether to explain why or even if he was interested why she was reticent to tumble down the slope. It was only memories from school that she wanted to eliminate; the push in the back and the sensation of falling before the scrapes on her skin from the tarmacadam as she landed. No she need not bore him at that so-called friend's antics that saw a visit to the School Nurse and a fair few tears buried in bed at night.
"Left or right?" Peter asked, glancing from side to side at the roughly worn path that greeted them at the water's edge. "Or even over?" There was a line of stones embedded peeping out from the water, clearly used as a makeshift bridge with bubbles of fast flowing water caressing the rocks and she saw him gesture across the river.
"Right" she replied. It would take them further and further away from the house and the group, the buzz of noise now very distant. All they could hear now was the river and the tweeting of birds as they flitted from branch to branch above their heads and it truly felt as though they were alone.
The pair set off hand in hand and in happy silence as they wandered, breathing in the clean air as the minutes rolled on, doing nothing more than taking in the calming atmosphere of the countryside.
A while later, Peter saw the perfect place to sit and rest for a moment and pulled her slightly up the bank again towards his chosen patch.
"Here?" he asked, seeing her smile and with a flourish laid out the blanket she had been carrying, nestling it between the thick tree roots and patting it down. With the tree blocking them from being seen and with the river still flowing with speed away from them downstream, they settled propped up with his arm around her shoulders.
"Here" she replied with a content sigh. "Here".
