Chapter 21: A New Year - A Fresh Start
At dawn on New Year's Day, the eight friends gradually stirred into wakefulness. Since they were in charge of the catering, Gavin and Grace were the first to rise. They shared the en suite shower attached to the master bedroom, dressed and went very quietly down to the kitchen. When she got there, Grace returned the central heating to its normal winter settings and restored the thermostat to 21 degrees.
In what was normally Grace's bedroom, Rich and Angela were also beginning to stir into consciousness after a memorable night.
"Is it morning yet?" asked a still sleepy Angela.
"'Fraid so." said Rich, who still had Angela's slender body enfolded in his arms, "I suppose we'd better be stirring if we're going to enjoy that breakfast Gavin's promised us."
After a few more minutes of gentle mutual caressing, they summoned up the energy to get themselves out of bed. As they had agreed, the previous evening, they also shared the shower, thus enjoying some more naked time together before they got dressed. Drying each other's bodies proved particularly pleasant, especially when Rich showered Angela's dainty feet with kisses.
"I really believe that we're now truly a couple." said Angela, as she was dressing, "I think that what we did last night committed us to each other. Do you feel the same?"
"I do." said Rich, "I really do. I can also say with some certainty that we're now part of each other."
Already up and about were Gavin and Grace. They were organising sufficient frying pans and plates for the breakfast. Grace also located the large circular baking tray she intended to use for the Apple pie.
"I'll get the potatoes, sausages, the bacon rinds and the bacon itself under way." said Gavin, "You can deal with the eggs, black pudding and mushrooms. We can microwave the beans in batches."
"How shall we alert the others when all this is ready?" asked Grace.
"We'll go up and knock on bedroom doors if the smell of frying bacon hasn't stirred them." said Gavin.
For the next few minutes, the kitchen was a hive of activity as Gavin and Grace prepared the breakfast. When she wasn't actually doing anything active, Grace selected eight of each, large plates, small plates and cereal bowls. She also organised the cutlery and set the dining table. She put a portion of muesli in each bowl, put a large milk jug on the table and followed it with the butter dish, a jar of marmalade and two full toast racks. Two large teapots were also charged and added to the table.
How shall we get all this to the table?" asked Gavin.
"We'll use that trolley over there." said Grace, "It's big enough to take all eight breakfast plates. It'll come in useful at lunchtime as well."
As the two were finishing their breakfast preparations, footsteps could be heard on the stairs. All three other couples had woken up and, as Gavin had anticipated, were led downstairs by the appetising aromas drifting up from the kitchen. They took their places at the table, and started on the muesli.
"Help yourselves to toast, butter and marmalade. There's more toast coming." said Grace.
By the time all eight meals had been plated, the three couples had just about finished their cereals. Grace cleared the bowls away as Gavin entered with the trolley and served the main fried breakfast.
"Well!" said Nick, "This is certainly a feast. I'm wondering what's for lunch."
"Think about eating what's in front of you." said Franky, grinning, "We needn't worry about lunch till after we've watched the concert. Let Gavin and grace organise that. I'm sure it'll be worth waiting for on this showing."
For Mini, this was a reasonably novel experience. She did enjoy full English breakfasts when she had spent the night at Alo's farm. The main difference there being that the eggs were only hours old, having been collected from the chickens that same morning. To Rich's surprise, Angela cleared her plate. She particularly loved the crispy bacon rinds.
"Wow! Angela," said Rich, "You certainly can eat. How do you stay so gloriously skinny."
"I must be one of those lucky people who can eat like a horse and not put on weight." said Angela, "Anyway this is what I really call a full English. Thank you, Gavin, and thank you Grace. I guess you two cooked this. It's so tasty. I loved the crispy bacon rinds. How did you do the potatoes? They're not hash browns, but they're a perfect match with the rest of the meal."
"We parboiled some yesterday morning, then fried some of the parboiled ones this morning." said Grace, "You'll have the rest for lunch as roast potatoes."
"I'll look forward to that." said Angela, "What is for lunch?"
"Since most people will have had beef, chicken or turkey in the last week or so," said Grace, "We're having roast lamb and mint sauce. I believe we decided on that last Wednesday."
The breakfast was enjoyed and appreciated by all present. Everyone commented about the bacon rinds. They all agreed that frying them until they were crunchy was a stroke of genius on Gavin's part. He said they were the breakfast equivalent of pork crackling.
Once breakfast was finished, it was nearly time for the radio broadcast of the first part of the New Year concert from Vienna. Mariss Jansons was to be the conductor this year. While six of the group were making themselves comfortable, Gavin and Grace set about clearing the bowls, plates and cutlery and loading the dishwasher. They also prepared the lamb joint, so all that would have to be done was to put it in the oven at the appropriate time. Preparation of the vegetables could wait until after the concert.
By the time Gavin and Grace emerged, it was about ten past ten. Gavin sat down, while Grace set the audio system up and switched on the tuner. At a quarter past ten, the concert began with something which sounded, at least for the first few seconds like the last item in the concert. The second item, the Rathaus-Bal-Tanze waltz, also quoted from other pieces including the Blue Danube. For the first half-hour or so, the group listened to the first part of this concert of waltzes, polkas and marches, mainly by the Strauss family. The effect this mainly cheerful and undemanding music had on several of the group was anything but neutral. By the second item, Rich's arm was across Angela's shoulders and the couple were smiling frequently, looking into each other's eyes and exchanging the occasional kiss. It was also evident that Nick and Franky, despite saying that this music wasn't really to their taste, were totally into enjoying it. Few people could ever recollect Franky smiling so brightly. She, unexpectedly, found this light-hearted music totally to her liking.
"You two weren't expecting to enjoy this." commented Gavin, as the first part of the concert ended, "How are you liking it now?"
"We're loving it," said Nick, "And it's certainly brought Franky to life. I've never seen her smile so much."
"It makes me feel so happy." said a brightly smiling Franky, "It really gets me down here."
She put her hand over her heart.
In the interval, Grace served coffee and biscuits and started the television, so the group could see the second part of the concert as well as hearing it.
The second part of the concert began with a piece not by the Strauss family, Hellmesberger's 'Danse Diabolique'. This was received with utter delight by all eight. It prompted a comment from Rich that 'the Devil does always get the best tunes'. Also loved by all was the Carmen Quadrille, based on tunes from Bizet's opera. This was preceded by the Feuerfest polka, in which the conductor used two hammers and anvils to direct the orchestra. After these two items, Grace went out to the kitchen to put the meat, then the potatoes in the oven. Once they were under way, she went out from time to time to check on them, and baste the lamb, since the joint was too large for the covered roasting tin.
One item in the concert had a profound effect on Grace. When the orchestra started playing the 'Panorama' from Tschaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty', she adopted a wonderful beatifically serene facial expression. Well, why not? She was enfolded in her boyfriend's loving arms. She was among her closest friends, whom she trusted, and she was listening to music she loved. In short, she felt she had found her own little corner of heaven. As the waltz from the same ballet followed, she broke into one of her most radiant smiles.
As was traditional, the concert ended with the Blue Danube waltz and the Radetzky March, both of which had been quoted in the first two items. The eight friends clapped along with the Viennese audience to the march.
Grace's blissful expressions during the concert, particularly during the Tschaikovsky pieces, were not lost on the others.
"You were really lost in some of that music." commented Rich, "You looked as if you were in total ecstasy."
"Well," said Grace, "It was so romantic, and that bit of 'Sleeping Beauty' is one of my all time favourites."
"You seemed to relax completely in my arms when it was playing." said Gavin, "You must have felt so safe and secure."
"I did!" said Grace, "I was thinking what a wonderful morning I was having. Last night was amazing, with all of you, even Mini and Alo joining in. This morning I almost feel I'm in paradise. I've got Gavin enfolding and protecting me and I'm surrounded by my closest friends, listening to the sweetest music ever written. It's so perfect."
"I think we all feel the same way." said Mini "I loved the freedom we felt last night, and now we've just spent a couple of blissful hours listening to music which fits our mood perfectly."
"I think we all had goosebumps when that Tschaikovsky came on." said Rich, "It was so ethereal."
"I can only add that I hope this is really a new beginning for all of us." said Angela, "What about you, Franky, did you enjoy it. You were almost dancing in your seat during some of the waltzes."
"Yes, I did." said Franky, "I haven't heard one of these before, but I might try to pick up on next year's. I really loved 'Feuerfest'. I've never seen a conductor use hammers and anvils to direct an orchestra."
During the latter part of this discussion, Gavin went to the sideboard and produced a bottle of medium dry sherry and eight glasses. He put them on the coffee table in the middle of the lounge.
"Aperitif time for you six?" said Gavin.
"Of course, but aren't you drinking?" asked Alo.
"If you want lunch," said Grace, "We've got to cook the vegetables and make sure the roast is okay."
Gavin filled the eight sherry glasses and distributed six of them among the three couples, then disappeared into the kitchen with Grace and the other two glasses of sherry. In the lounge, the Viennese mood was continued when Rich found a DVD of the 2010 concert, originally recorded from the BBC4 highlights programme in the evening. He put it on with the comment that "This begins with something a bit 'batty'." The three couples continued their warm affectionate attention to each other while enjoying the sherry and the extra Viennese music.
"Do you think they'll need any help dishing up?" asked Angela, after a while, "The two of them did look a bit frantic when they were serving breakfast this morning."
At this point, Grace appeared with a question.
"Is there anyone who doesn't want soup?" she asked.
"What is it?" asked Nick.
"Cream of mushroom." answered Grace.
There being no voices of dissent, she went back to the kitchen to prepare the soup. Rich and Angela followed, so they could offer their assistance, as it appeared that the lunch was nearly ready.
"This smells appetising." said Angela, as she entered the kitchen.
"Can we help?" said Rich.
"Yes." said Grace, "You know the layout of this kitchen, could you organise the crockery and eating irons please."
Rich sorted out eight of each, soup bowls, dinner plates, side plates, dessert plates and wine glasses. He located the soup tureen and a ladle as well as divided dishes for the vegetables. Then Angela took the soup bowls and side plates to the dining room. Rich sorted out sufficient cutlery for the forthcoming feast and set the table. Grace prepared the soup for the first course, filled the tureen, and toasted eight slices of bread. She took the full tureen, with its ladle, and the toast into the dining room. Then she alerted the other four that lunch as nearly ready. Alo, Mini, Nick and Franky took their seats.
"Don't wait for us." said Grace, "Help yourselves to soup and toast. Butter, salt and pepper are on the table. We'll be out shortly."
After preheating them, Rich placed the eight hot dinner plates on one end of the island worktop and moved the trolley alongside. All was nearly ready for serving. Grace was already busying herself making the gravy for the roast and the custard for the dessert, while Gavin carved the joint and placed a portion on each dinner plate. Rich and Angela took the vegetables and the large gravy boat out to the dining room and took up their seats.
Just as the six original diners were finishing their soup, Gavin entered with the trolley carrying the eight plates of roast lamb. These were distributed, and everyone helped themselves to vegetables, potatoes, gravy and mint sauce. While they were doing this, Gavin opened the sideboard and took out a bottle of claret which, once uncorked, was poured into the wine glasses.
"Has your dad allowed you to drink this wine?" asked Rich.
"Of course." said Gavin, "He told us which bottles we could use, and this is one of them."
"This is tasty," said Mini, "And the meat is so tender, and the roast potatoes are almost ambrosial. I'd eat spuds more often if they were always this good. My complements to the chef. I guess that was you, Grace."
"And you'd guess wrong." said Grace, "All the meat preparation from purchase to serving was Gavin's doing. All I did was keep an eye on it and baste when necessary. He also played a major part in preparing the potatoes, for both breakfast and lunch. I will admit to the actual cooking of the vegetables."
"Could you do as well, Alo?" asked Mini.
"I could do it for two or three people." said Alo, "I often do, when my folks are tied up with farm work. I'm not sure I'd be organised enough to cater for eight though. My mum has shown me what to do, and how to select the best buys at the supermarket."
"You might have to stretch that to five people when my little one starts eating normal food." said Mini.
To the satisfaction of both Gavin and Grace, everyone cleared their plates. Nick even managed some extra meat. At the end of this course, all that was left was a couple of boiled potatoes and some cabbage. These would not go to waste as Gavin and Grace would enjoy an early evening meal of cold lamb plus 'bubble and squeak' on Tuesday, before their meeting with the rest of the 'gang' later that same evening. This was to discuss the case of Matty, who was still missing after the car crash in Morocco. Liv was going to be there as she would have returned from her family Christmas holiday away with Maud.
As Gavin cleared away the dinner plates, Grace entered with the dessert plates and the big circular baking tray containing the apple pie.
"Made by my own fair hand from the finest Bramley apples." said Grace, as she neatly cut the pie into eight equal segments, and served one to each diner. Everyone helped themselves to custard from the large jug she had brought in.
Mini was the first to try the dessert.
"This is delicious beyond words." she said, as she tasted the first spoonful, "Thank you, Grace. You're a wonderful cook. You both are. We'll have to return the compliment some time."
Everyone else agreed that the apple pie, although a simple dish was the crowning glory of the meal and was worth waiting for. Once the dessert was finished and the plated cleared, the group returned to the lounge for coffee and brandy.
Once these had been drunk, it was time for the visitors to go home. Gavin and Grace stayed behind to load and start the dishwasher. All eight friends now felt that they had indeed made a fresh start to their lives and that nothing would be the same again.
Mini, despite her condition, and its cause, felt relaxed about her future. She had realised that the young man she has dismissed as an unsophisticated 'farm boy' was in reality a gentle, compassionate and thoughtful person who, she realised, loved her and everything about her really deeply. Alo, for his part, would stand by her whatever happened. They had agreed between them that she would keep the baby and would bring it up on the farm. Alo's parents, surprisingly, approved of this plan and said they would do everything they could to support their son and probable future daughter-in-law. She had also accepted that her love for Alo meant that her future now lay as a farmer's wife.
As for relationships generally within the group, the result of the adoption of Angela's somewhat off-the-wall suggestions after the yuletide dance and on New Year's Eve was that everybody felt closer together. It was plain that this group would remain as close friends for life. Despite Gavin effectively taking Grace away from Rich there was no animosity between them. This was mainly due to the arrival of Angela in Rich's life when he was in Germany after the Morocco holiday. In fact, once they got to know each other, the two girls became inseparable friends.
Another positive result of these two bizarre evenings was that little Franky accepted that she was bisexual but had accepted that her very close loving relationship with Nick Levan was the 'real thing'. This was so strong that the reappearance of Matty Levan didn't even disturb it. Matty, once he had sorted matters out with the police, reacquainted himself with Liv, who until Matty's return, had felt somewhat left out. Now that all the relationships within the group were stable, there was no longer any conflict between Matty and Nick.