Interlude in London.
The news that Adam's granny would be there when they arrived did concern Lawrence a little; his mind was still filled with the reputation of the legendary actress after all. He need not have worried, after a warm greeting from Mr Crawford, or Hugh as Lawrence was immediately told to call him, they were guided by Adam's father into the warm sitting room where his mother was holding court, sat in a wing chair by the side of it open fire. She greeted her grandson, and then looked Lawrence up and down as he stood on the threshold of the room, then said, "Well, Adam was right; you are a good looking young man…"
Adam instantly blushed, then blurted out, "I told you that in confidence! You weren't supposed to repeat it, granny!"
She smiled and beckoning Lawrence, she held out her hand to him. He walked across the room and took it, shaking it warmly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Crawford. Your grandson has told me so much about you, all of it good. My only hope is that I can live up to your high expectations."
"Whilst that remains to be seen, young man, you have made an excellent start. I like a young man with a firm handshake. Now take a seat and we can chat on a one-to-one basis before anyone else takes over. I'm sure that Adam will fetch us some tea; he is infinitely more capable at making it than his father, who after all of these years still does not seem to be capable of such a simple task! I don't know what he does, but the results are mediocre to say the least."
"Adam has mentioned as much to me; his father does not warm the pot for a start, I've heard, which is his biggest mistake," Lawrence replied.
Mrs Crawford smiled and said, "If my grandson has instructed you on how to make tea properly, then you have started exceptionally well! I have heard that some Americans think you can make tea in a microwave!"
"It actually gets worse, Mrs Crawford - there is such a thing as liquid instant tea…"
Adam laughed, and shaking his head, left his boyfriend to it whilst he went to make the tea and catch up with his parents….
Lawrence waited for the moment that the interrogation would start, but it did not come. "My son and his wife have told me a lot about you, particularly after they met you in New York. I'd seen photographs of course, but they are never quite as good as meeting someone in person I think. They also told me about Los Angeles and how you were there when the big earthquake hit…"
"It was the darkest time of my life and I wished for so long after that that I had died there as well. I don't talk to my father to this day; my only family is my brother and at first, even he was an enemy. He was patient with me and then Dalton Academy came along and well, I realised that I needed to live for them, my mom and my stepdad. Nobody at school knew that Dex was my brother, given that we have different surnames and we both agreed to let that be the case. Nobody even knew we were related until after I graduated from school."
"Adam also tells me you were in a choir at school - I should be able to recall the name, but my brain does not always function the way that I would like it to…"
"The Warblers; I have to admit that I enjoyed being part of something bigger, a gang of brothers in a way. We all care for each other so much, even now. Dalton Academy is a good school and being able to board that let me focus on my studies. Being a doctor wasn't always my dream, but after the way my stepdad died, I just felt that if I'd known what to do, I could possibly have saved his life."
"I used to be a volunteer for the Saint John's Ambulance, doing first aid at events, before age crept up on me. I did consider a career in nursing when I was younger, But my father did not approve, feeling that it was beneath me; instead I ended up working as a secretary in Whitehall to several dull, old civil servants. That ended upon my marriage, as was the rule in those days and I never went out to work again. If I had been medically trained, then I think that would have been very different and I would have wanted to utilise my skills again.
Adam returned with the teapot then and the conversation moved on to Lawrence's career, culminating in the telling of the story of how he had delivered Tina's baby daughter in her kitchen. Adam's parents had entered the room just before he began to tell it and the three older people sat and listened as he spoke in silence. "I always thought that's in such a situation I might freeze and be unable to do anything, but as a midwife colleague said to me afterwards, you have a moment and then the autopilot and the adrenaline kick in, and you do what you have to do. That whole thing, the bringing of a new life into the world, is an experience that I will never forget. They called her Laura after me and well, whenever I see her now I still get a warm fuzzy feeling…"
"So, will you be moving into private medicine after your training is over?" asked Mrs Crawford, and Lawrence heard an almost immediate intake of breath from the direction of Annie her daughter-in-law.
He recalled that Adam had always said his grandmother was a socialist of the lightest shade, so with a smile he replied, "I think that I would choose to work in a non-profit hospital, where the health and well-being of the patient trumps their ability to pay every time. The healthcare scheme that the current President has brought in is already making a big difference. The modest insurance premiums that people pay as part of that have a lot like the National Insurance system that you have here in the United Kingdom, in a way. If I do continue my career in hospitals then I would like to do emergency medicine, just for the variety. Alternatively, I could see myself working as an MD…"
Seeing his granny looking a little confused at that, Adam said, "That's a GP to us here, with the big difference that an MD is still on call to their patients 24/7 in the United States."
His grandmother nodded, and said, "Exactly as the GP used to be here. Whatever course you choose, I can see that you were always put the needs of your patients first, and that is the mark of a good doctor in my opinion…"
In the end it was a good two hours after his arrival at the Crawford's house before Lawrence was finally able to head upstairs and then pack his case. He then returned back to the dining room for a light lunch; as he sat down at the table, Adam started to laugh as he saw what his mother was serving up.
"Cocktail sausage rolls, mini Scotch eggs and a selection of breads with cold cuts, cheese and pickles! This is our traditional Boxing Day repast!" he explained to Lawrence. He then found himself having to explain to his boyfriend exactly what a Scotch egg was and also what Boxing Day was as well, to dispel all his notions of pugilism straight away.
Still, that reference to the old tradition of gift giving did allow them to bring out the small gifts they had brought with them, alongside all of the Atomic Fireballs. Although Adam had told him that only one gift would be necessary from them both, Lawrence had still decided to bring small presents of his own and know he watched in trepidation as Mrs Crawford senior unwrapped the small box that contained the snow globe paperweight he had chosen for her. Such a gift had been Adam's idea initially, but he had decided on something else in the end, giving Lawrence his opening. On seeing it, the old lady was thrilled, as unbeknownst to them all, her own long cherished ornament of a similar style had been broken only two days before. To receive such an immediate replacement was a wonderful bonus…
By the time that Adam and Lawrence were able to head up to bed that night, the latter felt that he had been truly accepted into the Crawford family. Moreover, to everyone's surprise, he had been granted the right to call the old lady Joan, which was the quickest that it had ever been achieved according to Adam. There was no issue with them sharing a bed either, which was a bonus that Lawrence had not expected. He did wonder as he climbed into the bed if it would take him a while to doze off, the village being so much quieter than the one that he lived in Manhattan, but snuggled up under the covers with the man that he loved, his eyes had closed in no time at all…
Whilst they slept, snow started to fall; just a light dusting that turned the ground white, much like a dusting of icing sugar would look on the top of a cake. It was a pleasant surprise for Lawrence when he woke up in the morning, untangled himself from Adam's arms, and padded quietly over to the window. His boyfriend was still sound asleep, but he could hear the faint sounds of downstairs. Putting on one of the robes that hung on the back of the door, he headed down to the kitchen to find Adam's parents at the breakfast table, the Today programme on Radio 4 in the background as they ate toast and drank tea, which was poured from a pot that was kept under a woollen cosy…
On seeing Lawrence, Annie immediately jumped up, offering him a choice of potential breakfast options that rivalled a luxury hotel. Having convinced her that toast would be more than adequate, he took a seat as she sliced bread to make it. The radio presenters were discussing the issues of the day, and reviewing that morning's newspapers. One of those had a lead article on the Queen, and the concern for her health that had begun to spring up now that she was in her second century of life.
"She will outlive us all," opined Hugh, which made his wife laugh.
"If only that was true, my love," she said. "She looked much more frail when she gave her speech at Christmas. What is worse, if it has snowed here, lord knows how much worse it will be in the Highlands…"
The conversation moved on to other things, and Lawrence joined in when he could. He was on his second slice of toast when Adam appeared, walking right over to his boyfriend to kiss him, then asking his mother if he could have French Toast, something that his mother had been expecting to happen, given that she had a bowl of mixed eggs already in the fridge. When a slice of the toast came Lawrence's way unrequested, he decided that it would be rude of him to refuse to eat it…
They walked down to the station shortly after breakfast, Adam wanting to make the most of that time in the country. This time they did not change trains, staying on board all the way to Victoria, before taking the tube one stop to St James's Park, A short walk from the green space of the same name, which gave them a view of Buckingham Palace, a building that was recognised the world over. Having taken a moment to look in that direction, the turned in the opposite direction and headed to Horse Guards Parade, Heading down the road and passing the entrance to Downing Street. As they walked, they passed a sign indicating the entrance to the Cabinet War Rooms. That attracted Lawrence's attention and also it wasn't on their list of venues to visit, they had time to pop in to satisfy the younger man's curiosity.
It was a very atmospheric museum, untouched for almost 80 years. To know that one of the United Kingdom's most well-known prime ministers, Sir Winston Churchill, had sat in the same place as the future of the country was at stake was an experience that Lawrence would never forget. it was only after they left that Adam revealed the truth to him; that had the Luftwaffe managed to target the correct spot with a high explosive bomb, then the entire building would have collapsed down on to the people in that basement, resulting in fatal injuries for most of them.
It was but a short walk from the Cabinet War Rooms to Westminster Abbey, A building so old that Lawrence could barely contemplate it. The soaring gothic church, which had been the centre of so much British pomp and circumstance, left him standing in all. To stand within sight of the Coronation Chair, which had last been used in 1953, and had been constructed in 1300 left him silent. He had of course seen footage of that Coronation, a moment of televisual history which had seen a nation watch tiny screens, entranced by the sight of that then 27 year old monarch being crowned, not knowing then that she would go on to become one of the longest reigning monarchs in world history.
After lunch in the Abbey cafe, they headed across Parliament Square to board the first red bus of their trip. By good luck, the coveted seat at the front upstairs was free, allowing Adam to point out all the landmarks along the way as the electric bus carry them up Whitehall, through Trafalgar Square, and along The Strand:- The Cenotaph, The National Gallery, Nelson's Column and the Savoy Hotel. There were theatres too, the Law Courts and numerous churches. Soon the bus was passing along Fleet Street, once home to the nations press, before it brought them to their destination. They find themselves approaching the front of St Paul's Cathedral, a building so very different to the Abbey, but every bit as iconic. Lawrence soon found himself standing under the great dome, staring up in awe, before they climbed up the narrow staircase to the Whispering Gallery just below it, from which they had a bird's eye view of the cathedral below.
From those lofty heights, they descended to the crypt below and spend some time wandering through the tombs. Returning upstairs, they headed to the American Chapel. The space had been created after the Second World War as part of the rebuilding of bomb-damaged areas following the Blitz. It was a War Memorial, dedicated to the 28,000 American service personnel that had lost their lives during the European conflict. Lawrence had seen the pictures of the cathedral in 1940, when it had been surrounded by a ring of fire that had left the buildings around it gutted. He stood in silence for a moment, pondering on all those young lives that had been sacrificed to secure the freedoms that he now enjoyed.
As they prepared to leave the cathedral, a service had begun and the choir began to sing; it seemed only natural to pause for a moment and listen to them. When they left the cathedral, they headed away from the main road towards the Underground station of the same name, where they boarded a Central Line train which conveyed them to Oxford Circus. They emerged there to explore some of the stores on Oxford Street, a must for every visitor to the city and even more so in January, when the sales were taking place and there were bargains to be had…
Adam had arranged for them to have dinner in town that evening, at one of the capital's most famous Indian restaurants. That type of food was special to both of them, given that it had been the meal that they had first shared on that first date after they acknowledged their attraction to each other. The menu here was different, a more contemporary twist on the cuisine of the sub-continent. Of course, such a popular venue was usually booked out weeks in advance, given that it had recently had rave reviews by several of the top critics, including Tom Parker Bowles, the son of the Duchess of Cornwall. That they were able to get a table was down to Adam making use of his celebrity status for the first time at home. Lawrence was unaware of this and assumed that the photographer that had snapped them as they entered the restaurant had been there merely by chance.
They both agreed that they would opt for the tasting menu, which gave them the opportunity to sample many more dishes from the vast menu on offer. Each of the small portions they were presented with was shared and enjoyed, new taste sensations which got their taste buds tingling. They made notes on the names of the things that they enjoy the most, so that they will be able to try them again if they had the opportunity once they were back in New York.
The meal enjoyed, they headed back by bus to Victoria station, where they would catch the train back to Surrey; the station was still extremely busy despite the fact that it was well after 9pm. As they had arrived in good time, they walked down the length of the platform and boarded the train in the front coach where it would be quieter, allowing them to spread out a little with their bags from John Lewis. Like Nick and Jeff all those years ago, Lawrence had purchased a good quality winter coat similar to the one that Nick still wore in the colder winter months. That he had also purchased one in his brother's size as well came as no surprise to Adam…
The next day was different in that photo they would once more be heading into London, this time they would only be spending half a day in the city, as Adam's parents were hosting a family dinner, which would be attended by his sister and her family. Like her brother, she had a busy life away from London now, her husband's career haven't taken her to Edinburgh, where she too had found a job that both fulfilled her career dreams and allowed her to take care of her two children as well. A fortuitous meeting had brought her husband to London for a couple of days and she was able to take time off work as well. The school term had begun once again in Scotland, but given the youthfulness of her children, it was no immense issue to bring them down South to see family and especially their Uncle Adam. They would be staying with his parents half an hours drive away, so accommodation was no issue either.
It would be an early start for Adam and Lawrence that morning, but they took the first train that they boarded only as far as East Croydon; Adam had changed that route a little and he guided his boyfriend out of the station to the tram stop outside, which made Lawrence smile. However, having boarded the tram and taking the seat, Adam was horrified to see him burst into tears almost as soon as the tram moved off.
Seeing the expression on his boyfriend's face, Lawrence spoke quietly. "Where I lived in Los Angeles, there was a streetcar route and I used to love going downtown on it with my mom. It wasn't exactly like this but the concept just made me think of her and of my childhood…"
"We don't have to take the tram. We could get off and go back to the railway station and take the train," answered Adam.
"Oh no! It is good for me to do this, to think about her. I've not exactly talked to anyone about her since she died other than a therapist; I don't even talk about her with Dex…" Acknowledging that seemed to open the floodgates for Lawrence, and by the time he and Adam left the tram at Wimbledon, Adam knew a lot more about the mother-in-law that he would never meet…
The tube took them from Wimbledon to South Kensington and we headed along the tunnel from the station to the Natural History Museum. As soon as they entered the building, Lawrence found himself confronted by Adam's childhood friend. "This is Dippy," his boyfriend said, pointing at the dinosaur skeleton in front of them. "He is one of the main attractions here and has been ever since he arrived on the premises."
"The building it's pretty magnificent too," replied Lawrence.
Add and then proceeded to tell him all about the history of the building and the fact that it was one of three museums built next to each other, which made up, along with the Royal Albert Hall, he corner of the city that was nicknamed Albertopolis. On a whim, they crossed the street to the V & A, another structure that left Lawrence in awe; his breath was then taken away when he saw the collections of gold, silver, glassware and ceramics that were housed in the galleries within the building.
As they made their way back towards Adam's childhood home, he went on to tell him a few facts about the museum they had just visited that left Lawrence quite staggered; firstly, that the V & A comprised 145 galleries over 12.5 acres of space, And then, that during the Second World War, the entire collection had been removed to an underground quarry in Wiltshire, whilst the building itself had been used in part as a school for children that had been evacuated from Gibraltar. "However, the best thing of all about it is that it is free. Just like the National Gallery and the British Museum, everything that is in the collection belongs in part to the people."
"I'm still glad that we left a sizable donation though," answered Lawrence. "I have always felt that we have to accept the past and all of its mistakes and try to preserve the best things about it. History cannot be changed after all. I know that some people think that the way items in the collections of museums in the West were acquired was wrong, but on the other hand, who knows what might have happened to those objects had they not been preserved in those museums and galleries…"
Lawrence had to admit that he was nervous about meeting his boyfriend sister. Adam was the younger of the two and he had admitted more than once to Lawrence that his sister Joanna was very protective of him, to the point that she had threatened to come to New York to deal with Kurt after he had returned to Blaine all those years ago. He therefore had an image in his mind from all that he had been told of a woman with an Amazonian outlook; someone that had no time for fools and would be on his case constantly.
It was quite a surprise therefore to find himself meeting a petite woman who seemed from appearances to be quite calm and placid; a devoted wife and mother. Her handshake though was firm and as soon as Lawrence sat down with her, the questions began to be fired off with a machine gun like rapidity, each one just a little bit more personal and probing. He answered with brevity, hoping that he would be able to pass this test. He was however exceptionally glad when Adam reappeared accompanied by his grandmother and the old lady immediately called a halt to her granddaughters questioning.
"There is no need for you to carry out this process; I have already asked him all that was necessary, and he passed with flying colours," send Joan.
"It never hurts to repeat the process, but yes, I think that he does pass the test. He is very suitable for Adam," replied Joanna.
Turning to look at his boyfriend, Adam said "Apparently, I do not get the option of saying what I think, but fortunately I agree with them. Now whilst you two ladies compare notes, Uncle Adam has been asked to bring Laurence to meet his niece and nephew."
"Oh Lord, I don't know if I can handle another round of questions," grumbled his boyfriend, only partly in jest. Luckily, the children just wanted to know if he really was a doctor, as they had seen the show Adam starred in, and Darrin wasn't. Lawrence was left to chuckle as Adam tried to explain what acting meant to two young fans, but soon find himself engaged in conversation with their father, who seemed to be an erudite man That was obsessed with the concepts of truth and social justice as a certain brunet was back in Manhattan…
Laurence woke up the next morning on the top of the world. The dinner had been an immense success and he had been accepted by Adam's sister as the one for her brother, Awful he had to admit that the tone in which she had said that did worry him slightly. He had been described as Uncle Lawrence by the two children, and as he had been saying farewell again to Adam's grandmother, she had told him to call her Joan, which was a very ringing endorsement indeed given that it came in less than 48 hours.
He suddenly realised that Adam was awake, and he leant in his direction and kissed him. It was still early but they did not linger in bed; it was after all that last day of that short break their flight back to the United States being late the following morning. At least they would not have to worry about taking public transport back to the airport; Mr Crawford had offered to drive them to Heathrow as he had reason to be driving in the direction of Oxford the following day for a meeting of the charitable organisation he was a part of.
They headed down to breakfast and soon were en-route to the station again changing trains at East Croydon to catch one on this occasion to London Bridge. From there it was a short walk to Tower Bridge and the landmark next to it that it was named for. Lawrence had to admit that he was a little disappointed that the famous bridge did not open, but as Adam pointed out, such things were now a very rare event. The sight of the Crown Jewels more than made-up for that; the orb, sceptre and crown of the reigning monarch encased in glass. All that Lawrence could do was stare at them, but at his side, Adam was conscious that there were whispers amongst other people, whispers that it started to grow in volume, about exactly when those items might be used in a Coronation again.
On leaving the Tower of London, they headed to the nearby tube station and took the District Line to Charing Cross, from which it was a short walk to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. Although Lawrence was no Jeff when it came to art, he didn't know what he liked and those great paintings by those famous names were a must see for him. Having seen those highlights, their feet took them in the direction of Piccadilly Circus And having spent some time in that famous junction, they descended once again into the tube network and took a train to Kings Cross, so that Lawrence could see Platform 9 3/4. They were still well ahead of schedule and so there was time to head back to the tube once more and catch a Victoria Line train to Pimlico, which was a short walk to the Tate Gallery.
Having taken in the highlights of that gallery, especially the paintings by Turner that Nick had always loved, they made their way to the nearby bridge and crossed the Thames, with the MI6 building to their left to Vauxhall station. They caught a train from there to the extremely busy Clapham Junction station, and were able to catch the train there back to the small village that Adam had grown up in and Lawrence had fallen in love with. He had done so as it was so close to the city with all of its attractions, but still felt as if it was miles from anywhere.
They would have their evening meal in the local pub that night, to give Mrs Crawford a rest from cooking; they knew from the outset that it could be an interesting evening, given that people would recognise Adam from the television. As it happened, only a few non local people wanted pictures and autographs; those that had known him from his childhood kept their distance out of respect. All I know, the young couple had to agree that their visit, although short, had been a success. The same opinion was shared by their hosts, and the only thing that could have made it better for the extended Crawford family would have been a proposal, but they realised that it maybe wasn't quite the time for that yet…
