CHAPTER TWELVE
It was just dawn when Mary stirred, waking from the deepest, most peaceful slumber of her life. The sunlight slid through the gaps of the curtains, whispering good morning to her. She smiled as its warm glow ran up her naked skin, caressing her in much the same manner as Bert had the night previous. She closed her eyes as its touch became physical, only opening them again when she felt Bert's hands on her inner thighs.
He grinned up at her from his position between her legs. 'Good morning, love,' he said, propping himself up by his elbows. 'Did you sleep well?'
She nodded, unable to articulate words as he traced patterns on the inside of her thigh.
'Mmm...' she whispered, falling back against the pillows, 'that feels nice.'
'Does it?' he asked rhetorically, sliding his hands further upward, following with his lips. 'Does it really?'
Her hands found their way to his hair; tangling in it, as she writhed desperately beneath his touch.
'I love you, I do,' she moaned loudly, his kisses reaching the junction of her thighs. 'Oh!'
He persisted in his caresses, rewarded by her moans and cries.
'Oh, please, please,' she begged him, unable to be more coherent than that. 'Please, darling, please...'
He slid his hands up still further, moving to the outside of her thighs, resting his cheek against her abdomen. She relaxed back against the pillows, her arousal ebbing for the moment in this comfortable position. But as he moved again, his lips kissing the soft curves of her breasts, breathing heavily as he rested his weight against her.
Her legs wrapped around his hips, her back arching as he slid into her.
'Oh, my love,' he whispered, 'my love, my darling, my life...'
'Bert!'
She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, as he filled her. Finally she fell back against the pillows, Bert falling on top of her.
'Oh, my love,' he whispered again, stroking her hair. 'My love, my darling.'
'My Bert,' she whispered, a note of possessiveness creeping into her tone. 'My Bert.'
'My Mary,' he countered, kissing her lips lightly. 'I love you.'
'And I love you,' she whispered in response. 'I always have, and I always will.'
***
After spending a week of mornings with her mother, learning how to control her Magic, and afternoons and nights with Bert, she and the Bellamys returned to 165 Eaton Place. As soon as she was able, she requested an audience with Lady Marjorie.
'Yes, Miss Poppins?' Lady Marjorie asked lazily, lounging elegantly on the large Chesterfield sofa.
Mary took a deep breath. 'I would like to hand in a month's notice,' she said calmly.
That got Lady Marjorie's attention. She sat straight up, staring at Mary.
'Why?' she asked her.
Mary had discussed what she should say with her mother, finally deciding to tell the truth – well, part of it, at least.
'I've found my mother,' Mary said. 'I'd like to get to know her.'
Lady Marjorie nodded, still a bit stunned by Mary's sudden revelation. 'Of course,' she said. 'Thank you for your services,' she finished, dismissing her.
Mary nodded, exiting the room, exiting the room and walking up the stairs to tell Miss Elizabeth of her departure.
***
'I don't want you to go!' Elizabeth Bellamy exclaimed, throwing her arms around Mary's waist. Her bags were set down by the servants' entrance. 'Please don't leave me.'
Mary closed her eyes for a moment, a tear sliding down her cheek. 'I'm sorry, Miss Elizabeth, but I must go.'
'Will you write?' she asked.
Mary pulled back from her embrace, looking down at Elizabeth. 'I can't promise,' she said. 'But if you need me, I'll come.'
'Goodbye, Miss Poppins,' she said. 'Thank you.'
'Goodbye, Miss Elizabeth.'
A chorus of good-byes echoes as Mary embraced Mrs. Bridges and Rose, before taking her leave of 165 Eaton Place for the last time.
That evening, she lay in Bert's arms.
'What will happen now, darling?' he asked her, stroking her hair. 'Where will you go, what will you do?'
'I'm to stay with my mother for several months,' Mary explained. 'She is still training me in the use of my Magic – and in my duties. I have much to learn – about Magic, about children... so many things. I will be busy.'
'I won't,' he sighed bitterly.'
'What do you mean, my darling?' she asked.
'I lost my job,' he said.
'Bert! What happened?'
'I couldn't bear it anymore,' he said, 'it was torture, being stuck behind a desk all day.'
'What will you do, then?'
He grinned slightly. 'Well, I wanted a job where I could make my own hours. So I think I'll become a chimney sweep – or a screever – or sell matches. Anything that strikes my fancy. That way, when you are able to take your days off, I will be too.'
She laughed delightedly. 'Oh, my darling, I do love you! You are so wonderful – so very wonderful.'
'I want to be with you,' Bert said, suddenly serious. 'That's all I've ever wanted. And this way, at least, we'll still have the evenings. We will we still have the evenings, won't we?' he asked her, his chin resting on her shoulder. She pulled his arms tighter around her.
'Yes,' she replied. 'We will still have the evenings. And my days off, and holidays – and every other moment we can spare.'
'And this?' he whispered, slipping a hand between her legs. 'Will we still have this?'
She moaned slightly. 'Oh, yes,' she said, turning in his embrace to face him. 'Yes, we'll still have this. We'll always have this.' She kissed him gently, passionately.
He returned her kiss, groaning as she pressed a soft hand against him, fingers exploring, caressing, moving upward as her hands finally looped around his neck, pulling him close to her. She could feel his arousal pressing against her, and, as she wrapped one leg around his hips, she began to make love to him again.
'I love you,' she whispered afterwards, lying in his arms. 'I love you so much. I will always love you.'
'And I will always love you,' he replied, tenderly pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. She gazed up at him adoringly. 'I will always love you.'