Shibden Hall.
The three friends stood at the top of the hill overlooking the historic house, and excitedly shared their first impressions of its eclectic architecture and paisley-design garden. They had made the trip from London specifically to see the home of Anne Lister, the famous diarist, entrepreneur and - most importantly to Patsy- lesbian. As they descended the stairs from the car park to the house, she joined Trixie and Barbara in singing the now-famous chorus:
"Jack-the-lass,Jack-the-lass,
No one likes a Jack-the-lass.
The code is cracked, your bags are packed,
The knives are out for Gentleman Jack."
"No knives on us!" declared Trixie, and Barbara laughed, "We like her!"
Patsy took in the scene below. "Evidently a lot of people like her. Look at the crowd!"
There were dozens of people roaming the garden and outbuildings, taking advantage of the beautiful late-summer day. Patsy had first heard of Anne Lister in a 2010 film, but now people around the world were discovering this intriguing woman, due to the immense popularity of the TV show "Gentleman Jack." Her two best friends, despite being straight, were just as captivated by the show and had been the ones to suggest this trip. Barbara, often teased for being a history nerd, had visited many historic estates around the country, but none in Yorkshire. Trixie had little interest in the historical implications of Anne Lister's accomplishments, but she was fascinated by the costumes in the show and was willing to traipse through the house if her friends also made time to see the dresses on display at The Bankfield Museum. Patsy hoped to absorb some of Anne's ability to live life on her own terms. Despite the gains made since the 1800s, she still found it difficult to be "out and proud." Maybe here she would learn how to be confident enough to go after her desires.
As they paid the entrance fee Trixie admonished Barbara, "Now we are not going to spend all day reading every bit of information and commenting on every single thing we see." There was quite a lot to see, with numerous information placards which Barbara tried to read as Trixie tried to keep the group moving and Patsy tried her best to keep the peace, take in all the details, make sure Barbara didn't trip on the stairs or uneven floors, and secretly check out the other female visitors. Occasionally they all focused on something at the same time- Anne's portrait, the paneling behind which the diaries had been hidden, the top hat in Anne's bedroom - but Patsy was really rather relieved when they finally stepped outside. Trixie was ready to move on, but Barbara insisted on looking at the barn and the carriages. A cursory tour of the other outbuildings followed, and then all three were ready to explore the grounds and enjoy the remarkably fine weather.
They headed down the hill to a small lake, where they could see a variety of boats. Patsy was eager to try a rowboat, since she had never quite gotten over the sting of not making the crew team at boarding school. After much persuasion the other two climbed into the boat, but after a few erratic strokes they insisted on being taken back to the dock before being tipped overboard. As a compromise they agreed to try the much more sedate pedalos. At least that way their fate would be in their own hands- or feet, to be exact. Trixie took a red one, Barbara a blue, and Patsy the bright yellow.
At one end of the lake small children were easily maneuvering their boats, but the three adults had a harder time as they zigzagged over the water until they reached the far end. Having finally mastered the colourful craft, Patsy challenged her friends- "Race you to the dock! Last one in has to buy lunch!" She began pedaling furiously, and soon built up a significant lead. Trixie and Barbara tried to keep up, alternately laughing and screaming. At the midpoint Patsy began celebrating. "I'm feeling quite hungry!"
Suddenly to her left a green boat began overtaking her. She watched a pony-tailed brunette flash past her and reach the dock first, then scramble out of the boat and raise her arms in triumph. "I win!" Patsy looked up into bright blue eyes and a mischievous grin, then let her gaze drop to a tantalizingly curvy torso, then a pair of shorts covering well-developed thighs. Oh, those thighs! With quads like that it was no wonder she had pedaled so fast.
Patsy climbed out of the boat and looked down at the laughing stranger. The view from above was equally as enticing as the view from the water.
"I could go for a pasty. Looks like your brunette friend is paying." Her Welsh lilt was even more captivating than her well-toned thighs. Patsy could only look on in tongue-tied fascination, but her silence went unnoticed as Trixie and Barbara clambered out of their boats and onto the dock.
"Hello! You want to go for our Patsy? My, you are fast- on land and on water!" Trixie held out her hand. "Congratulations! I'm Trixie, this is Barbara, who is treating us all to lunch, and this is Patsy, who looks like she has just lost her appetite. Come on, sweetie, be a good sport."
"I'm Delia. You really don't have to buy my lunch. I was just taking the piss."
Barbara spoke up. "Oh, do join us. Really. Unless you are already with someone."
"No, I came by myself. Had to see Anne Lister's home. Then I might go over to Hebden Bridge while I'm here." Patsy's stomach did a flip-flop at the mention of Hebden Bridge, reputed to be a lesbian mecca. Delia turned to her and added shyly, "I wouldn't want to intrude."
Patsy's face almost matched her hair as she blurted out, "We'd love for you to join me- I mean, us." Trixie then took the Welshwoman's arm and led them all to the cafe, with its delicious selection of sandwiches and salads. In between bites they discovered that, amazingly, Delia also lived in London. On hearing this, Patsy's hand began to tremble and she was barely able to put her glass down without spilling. Delia gave her a little smile, and Trixie's eyes lit up at the exchange but all she said was, "Let's take the train ride!"
Barbara boarded first and pulled Delia down next to her, leaving Trixie to settle in behind Barbara and Patsy to stare into that jaunty ponytail and the tendrils falling seductively on the curve of her neck and shoulder. That very kissable curve. No doubt one of many kissable curves… The other three chatted easily, pointing out particularly appealing scenes along the way, but Patsy could only focus on the appealing scene in the seat in front of her. Trixie glanced at her a few times and gave her an encouraging smile but said nothing. She had never seen her red-headed friend so flustered and was rather enjoying the faint blush on Patsy's face.
After the train ride Trixie declared it was time to head to Bankfield. While Shibden had been interesting enough, the costume display was the main reason she had wanted to come on this trip and her friends had promised her a visit to the museum. And now of course she hoped Delia would come along, too.
"Yes, I'd love to," replied Delia, with a blush almost the exact same shade as Patsy's.
A short bus ride and walk later, the quartet stood outside the museum. Trixie was almost bursting with excitement, with Barbara also eager to see the various displays, but Delia turned to Patsy and whispered, "I'm really not that interested in the costumes. I'd much rather just talk to you." Patsy's eyes widened and with slight gulp she looked Trixie in the eye and declared, "It's too pretty a day to be stuck inside a museum. Delia and I want to walk around the park. I might even treat her to an ice lolly."
Trixie grinned, "You do look like you need cooling down! Oh, go ahead. We'll text you when we've seen enough."
Patsy and Delia strolled around Akroyd Park, each hesitant to speak. Eventually they settled down on a bench facing the museum.
"How long do you think they'll be?" asked Delia.
"Hard to say. Trixie is only interested in the costumes, but Barbara is quite the history buff, so she'll want to see all of the Duke of Wellington exhibit. I had the devil of a time herding them through Shibden. But I read that there's some weird collection of stuffed animals here- maybe that will scare both of them out of there."
"Sometimes it's easier to do things by yourself so you can go at your own pace. I was supposed to come with a friend from uni, but her dog got sick and she couldn't leave him. Since I had come all the way from London, we decided I should go ahead and see Shibden, then I'll go back to her house in Doncaster tonight. I probably shouldn't say this, and I really didn't want her dog to get sick, but I think I'm having a better time without her. She's more like Trixie and Barbara, if you know what I mean." She gave her companion a friendly nudge. "Not nearly as big a challenge in a pedalo race!"
"Okay, you won this round. I should get a chance to even the score. How about the pedalos in Hyde Park? I mean," Patsy stammered, "I mean, if you'd like to. Like to get together again, I mean." The redhead was hopelessly flustered by now, and even more so when Delia reached out and touched her thigh. Patsy covered that hand with her own and waited in agonizing anticipation for Delia to reject her offer.
"I'd like that very much," came the answer in that sweet Welsh lilt.
Patsy let out a huge sigh of relief and elation, then dug in her pocket for her phone. "Give me your number and we can make plans later on." They swapped contacts and grinned at each other. "Let's get a lolly and then go find the other two."
Delia shook her head regretfully. "I should be getting back to the train station. I promised Lexie we'd have time for a good long visit. It's been almost two years since we've seen each other."
Seeing the disappointment on Patsy's face she continued, "You'd better not wait two years to see me again. Unless you're too afraid you'll lose again." She laughed at Patsy's expression of mock outrage, then stood up and held out her hand, pulling the redhead to her feet. "I had a wonderful time today. Thank you for letting me be part of your group. And thank Barbara and Trixie for letting me have some time just with you." She gave Patsy a quick kiss, then turned and hurried off, ponytail swishing and one hand waving.
Patsy trudged to the Bankfield entrance just as her phone pinged with a text from Trixie saying they were ready to leave. Reunited, Patsy explained Delia's absence and the three friends looked at each other tiredly. They had had a very early start and a long, satisfying day. Now for tea and bed.
Yes, bed was especially welcome for Patsy, where she was free to dream of ponytails, well-developed thighs and gleaming blue eyes.