CHAPTER 2 : A VISITOR FROM THE ENEMY'S CAMP
Monday, they were back at it and although the first few minutes were spent discussing holidays and the like, in no time the books were out and discussions were in full swing. It was good getting back into the routine of things. They only had three tutors over this period, Malcolm and Morris who they had worked with last term and a new chap called Roddy. Dr. Ellis dropped by one day to welcome them back.
Tina wondered if the professor made visits to all tutorials but Toby said, "I'm sure that it was only because she probably had a few minutes free from her busy schedule and after all, we are her pet project."
"Like the Pet Shop Boys!" Beth added laughing.
"Certainly," Toby agreed, "with a couple of permanent fangirls!"
"Thanks for nothing!" Tina said laughing as Beth joined in.
Meals were relaxing as there was no need to keep a watch out for certain students from another table. They had been joined at their table by Merlin's next door neighbour who had returned early as he was from Australia and had not gone home just stayed with an elderly aunt in Reading whom he confided to them had nearly driven him crazy as her one focus was on feeding him up as she was reliving her boarding school days when supplies had been short and food not readily available.
"What was she reliving the Boer War?" Toby had said making them laugh.
"Don't think so," Richard had replied, "just 1940's England…"
"It was pretty rough in Liverpool with all the bombings, heard the best place to live was on a farm or somewhere with an allotment so you could at least grow some veggies."
Beth said quietly, "It was bad for us in Germany as well." They all nodded.
Richard said, "Nevertheless, there is a bright side to my stay as she sent me back with enough sweets and biscuits to open a Tuck Shop."
"In my last school we had a Tuck Shop called Sweet Moments," Tina said, "I think it was a regular goldmine as the kids who didn't go home over the weekends were starved for sugar,"
"This really is the best kind of boarding as you can come and go and even bring in comfort food…" Beth started to say.
"Such as Fish and Chips…" interrupted Merlin.
"Or a good curry…" said Toby
"…back to your room," Beth said, finishing her original thought.
They all laughed and Richard said, "You'd never think that we had just finished a good meal!"
"Did you tell your aunt that we also have a bar which sells alcohol on the premises?" asked Tina.
"Not likely, she would have fainted away on the spot and then where would I stay during my term breaks?"
"Sorry to break up this time of reminiscences but I have a report I want to check over before I am so tired that my eyes won't cooperate," Beth said.
"I recommend matchsticks," Toby suggested.
"And what if I don't smoke?"
"A toothbrush?" said Merlin.
"That's awful…"
"I just mean to prop up your eyelids," he insisted.
They made their way upstairs and said goodnight to the girls before continuing down their hallway. Toby said as he left Merlin, "We're lucky having friendly people in our end of the corridor I wonder what stories Dev will have when he comes back?"
"Well, apart from how much he misses his betrothed, probably nothing new," Merlin said with a grin.
-0-0-
As he got ready for bed he thought that in a way it was sad as he had no one to talk with about Arthur. Not that he would want to discuss personal things but he would like to let them know how happy he was and how much he meant to him.
In a way he missed Gawaine who was laid back and not likely to be critical when Merlin spoke about him. "You're doing it again," he would tease.
"What?"
"Waxing eloquently about the love of your life!" Gawaine would say laughing, "Not that I blame you as he is obviously the epitome of manhood!" That usually erupted into a good-natured shoving match and then dissolved into laughter.
"One day, Gawaine, before you become old and grey, you will meet someone who knocks you off your feet."
"Physically or metaphorically?"
"Both if you like. She will be the end all and be all of your very existence. She will be a light in the sky to challenge the sun, your heart will sing when your eyes meet and your body will thrum with the thought of her. She will satisfy your every wish and you will be happy. She will be a trusted friend and a loving companion and your life will be better for meeting her."
"And these words of wisdom reflect your feeling for and love of Arthur?" Gawaine teased.
Merlin smiled and blushed slightly before nodding, "It's a wonderful feeling to be really in love. You feel safe and cared for and you know without a doubt that you will stand there and fight for the love of your life!"
"Metaphorically?"
"Yes metaphorically, and hopefully physically but not enough to get myself hurt," Merlin concluded with a big grin. "However, I would go to the ends of the earth to defend Arthur. It is the strangest thing to realise that your are viewed indispensable by someone else, not like the bond with your mother which is so strong from birth but that some stranger unrelated to you would choose you for more than just a passing friendship." He sighed, "It's really nice!"
Checking that his phone was beside his bed, he smiled to himself, Gawaine was a really good friend. It was late but maybe Arthur would still phone if not, that was all right as he would be in Oxford tomorrow…
His sleep was disturbed by a continually beeping and he reached for his phone only to hear voices in the corridor. He got out of bed and went to open the door but then unsure he decided that it would be more prudent to listen first. He heard Toby's voice and went out, he and Richard were standing there and it was a fire alarm in another part of the building which had obviously awakened them.
"Better go downstairs. I'll see if I can get Tina on her phone." He finally said, "Yes, we heard it too. Wait for us at the stairs and we'll go down together."
Merlin laughed and said, "Maybe after you have put on some pants, Toby!" Glancing down, Toby saw that he was in his boxers and nipped back into the room for his jeans.
By the time the five on them were on the stairs, the alarm had stopped. They heard someone coming up and one of the night security said, "Everything is under control, an electrical fault near Staircase K. Back to your rooms as you've got four more hours before breakfast is served."
They trooped back upstairs and Beth said, "Well, at least we know that the fire alarms work."
"I thought it was my phone at first," Merlin confessed.
-0-0-
The day flew by and Merlin had not heard from Arthur. Finally his phone beeped around three in the morning and there was a text from an unknown number.
Phone lost possibly stolen. Delayed expect me Saturday late. Rex
Merlin smiled, it was from Arthur if ever they left a message which might be intercepted Arthur used Rex and he would sign as Dragon. It might seem childish but it gave Merlin a sense of security knowing that it had really been Arthur contacting him from an unknown number. He told himself he was being paranoid then shrugged, maybe he had the right to be as there was still so many unexplained things which had happened over the previous two terms.
-0-0-
There was a change in schedules and as Tina and Beth were having later tutorials they seldom met up at breakfast.
One of the two older ladies obviously guests who had been sitting at their table all week nodded at Merlin and Toby. She introduced herself as Dr. Eleanor Lucas explaining that she'd been a guest for the last two weeks. She was an older lady and quite charming. She told them that years ago, she'd been a professor in the social studies department at Oriel but thought that she preferred the Magdalen residence. Her friend had attended Magdalen and as they were retired, they had decided to spend a few weeks in residence now to see if it would be suitable for their proposed summer course.
She'd laughed saying that last year they were in Paris at Le Sorbonne and the year before it had been history courses in Egypt. She was then joined by her companion Professor Joyce Carrigan who was interested as to why the two rooms across the hallway to each other where they had stayed the first week were not available for their final week, as they had been told it had been something to do with early returning students.
Toby explained that they were in an accelerated course and did extra weeks each term, with the chance of completing their degree in three years. It was their rooms where Dr Lucas and her companion had been staying.
"Who is the lucky man with the doubled bed?" Dr. Lucas said laughing.
Joyce said, "Ellie, you're embarrassing them!"
Merlin didn't feel embarrassed and said, "That's my room."
They met up at breakfast every day and were soon on first name basis.
One day, it was only Ellie at the table for lunch as Joyce was making a phone call. Toby was late and the girls were eating out. Ellie started talking, "You might know my nephew who is a student here and lives in residence. His name is Carter..."
Merlin felt his heart pounding and he felt light headed. He grabbed the underneath of the table and squeezed until his fingers were hurting.
Ellie didn't seem to notice anything and continued, "He's blond, heavy set, always was a difficult child. Told my brother-in-law that he was spoilt rotten, not that he took it to heart. He's the only son and was raised as a little prince much to his disadvantage. My sister's only surviving child and she has doted on him since he first appeared. Actually he might go by his surname name Waynflete-Carter.
Merlin kept thinking, 'He's not here...he's not here...just his aunt.'
He couldn't help but be fascinated by what Ellie was saying, "His father is a successful business man, an absent father who hardly knows his son. He was driven by this desire to have his son graduate from Oxford as was befitting someone who has ties to one of the old families of Oxford.
"Do you happen to know him? He has a chequered history been expelled but with his father in his corner he always seems to come up smelling roses. Our family never understood my sister's falling for the man but she was pregnant and they had a quick marriage and that was it. Nasty man...!"
Merlin so wanted to say, 'Nasty man and nasty son!' However, he just nodded.
"Strange really as the rest of his father's family is normal and upstanding. Guess there's a black sheep in each generation. I haven't spoken to the boy for at least five years. I'd walk by him in the Street and not acknowledge him."
Not wanting to distract her, he nodded and let her talk.
"I gave him a chance when he was younger and had him join my husband and our family for the holidays. It didn't work. He was a bully and had my youngest girl in tears every day. No love lost between the two of them even to this day. Straw that broke the camel's back was when the gardener found him torturing a litter of rabbits...
"Rabbit, is that what's on the menu for lunch?" Joyce said as she returned.
Merlin and Ellie laughed and then Toby joined them and it was time to have lunch.
After breakfast the following day, the guests were leaving. Ellie said, "Well, all the best with your studies during Trinity. We might see you before you leave for the summer as we've been accepted for our courses." After the meal, Ellie came back and slipped Merlin her card saying to the two of them, "If you are ever in York, phone me and you can come for a meal."
Merlin said, "It has been so nice meeting you, Toby and I have enjoyed our meals with you."
Toby and Merlin went off to a tutorial and Ellie and Joyce got their bags and left as she went through the Porters' Lodge she nodded at Drake, saying, "Thanks, Tom, for the update, I have to admit that although Merlin seemed shaken by my conversation he never said anything negative about my nephew. Keep me posted, tell Maeve I said hello."
-0-0-
As Arthur wasn't due back till late Saturday, Merlin decided that it was better to tell him face to face what he had leaned from Baxter Waynflete-Carter's aunt. It was sad in a way as she had seemed charming, he thought it just showed how you had little control over how your children or in this case your nephew might turn out.
Slowly over the next few days as more and more students returned, the Dining Hall became busier than ever and small groups of returning students were claiming their favourite tables. The AC's having already laid claim to their regular places.
On Friday, one of the returning students, a chap said, "What do the four of you do, live here?"
Toby laughed saying, "With our schedule…yes, practically!"
"Well, at least we had undisturbed nights until the rest of you arrived!" Beth said smiling.
"If any of you ever want to join us on our Friday night sorties, just ask and my friends will show you how the rest of Magdalen lives."
Tina smiled saying, "Thanks for the offer, we'll let you know."
The chap known as Ray left and Toby said, "If I had wanted to be bleary eyes and incoherent the whole weekend, I might have considered that offer." The others laughed.
"Some of them seem to balance the partying and the studying but more in sophomore and junior years than as freshers. Bumped into Brad and he said that in one of his tutorials, since December the number of students has dropped by a third. Many hope to try again next year."
"If they can get back in…" Tina said. "You'd think with all the expense and the knowledge of the limited space here that they would smarten up. Met a girl who confided in me that she hadn't had a drink since New Year, however she intended to be drunk on the second weekend in June right through until Michaelmas begins."
"Good thing she isn't an AC as she'd have to put that off until the third weekend," Beth said with a grin. "Who knows maybe it was all talk and she might actually feel differently by then."
They all nodded, pleased that out of controlled drinking didn't appeal to any of them.
"I was drunk once," Toby confided, "Wasn't my idea but some of my brother's friends were staying over and they thought it was funny. I can assure you my mother didn't when she walked in on me hugging the toilet. She was furious and Gord was grounded.
Beth confessed that she had never been drunk but Tina said that she had once been tipsy as someone had spiked her lemonade at a family bar-B-Q. "My parents were not impressed and I was read the riot act when technically it hadn't been my fault. I only ever reached the stage where everything seemed hilariously funny…even the looks on my parents faces."
Merlin kept silent, he remembered falling asleep at the Knells with Arthur, Gawaine and Laurence and having to be helped up to Gawaine's room and feeling rotten.
Toby said, "Come on Merlin, your turn tell us your experience with the gift of Bacchus or should I phone Gawaine to see if he remembers."
Merlin smiled as said softly, "I was staying over at Gawaine's. His brother and Arthur were also there drinking whiskey. I was offered a shot and not wanting to be considered a baby, I drank it off as if it were a soft drink even though it tasted like medicine. I then fell asleep beside Arthur and they had to get me upstairs to Gawaine's room. Seems afterwards, they realised I'd been given a double." Everyone laughed as he added, "Never touched the stuff since!"
-0-0-
Arthur finally phoned, late Friday afternoon, explaining that Ferguson and he had been out for dinner and on the way back, the cab had had a fender-bender. No one was hurt but the cab was out of service, so the driver notified his company to send another cab.
While they waited, Arthur felt in his pocket and realised his phone and wallet were missing. The driver searched the cab but he couldn't find it.
He then remembered that a man had helped him get out of the car as his door was stuck. He'd certainly had his hands on him as he helped him but he had seemed all right and had not gone running off. When the police arrived, the man said something about them now being in good hands, wished them the best and left.
"I'll not get my phone back but it's locked so no problem."
"But he could have had a knife or a gun!" Merlin said worried.
"He just seemed like a good Samaritan at the time but later the police mentioned that this was by far not the first fender bender which had resulted in a robbery. "You were all lucky as in some cases, the occupants, even the driver have been assaulted. The second car is always reported as stolen.
"But you could have been hurt…"
"But I wasn't, I'm alive and fine. I got a new phone and am now transferring all my contacts. Guess whose went in first?"
"Your father's?"
"Get serious, Merlin, yours! Mind you I don't really need it there as it is engraved on my heart..."
Merlin started to laugh and was soon gasping for breath. "Arthur, that is the funniest thing you've ever come up with!"
Arthur smiled even though Merlin couldn't see him, he knew that he had made him laugh and hopefully lessened the possibility of his having a nightmare about taxi accidents and stolen phones.
"Luckily my tickets were in my suitcase, so we were all right getting the flight back. Anyway, it now looks as if I won't be there until Sunday, but if I can get back earlier, I will."
"I don't know if Laurence is back but I think he probably is. Tell you what, I'll get some food and there will be homemade fish cakes and nachos with meat, refried beans and cheese ready to go into the oven once you arrive."
"You'd do that for me?" Arthur said.
"Well, also for me as I like fishcakes, the chips and the cheese. See, I'm very easy to get along with."
"Have you missed me?"
Merlin said, "With every ounce of my being." It was on the tip of his tongue to tell him about Ellie Lucas but he decided it was better to save it until he saw him in person.
"Look, as Toby will be going home on the weekend why don't you stay at the condo?"
"But what about Laurence he might have Sara with him and be looking forward to a couple of days on their own?"
"I don't think we need to worry about that, I'll tell you when I see you. Better go as I'm waiting for a replacement driving license. I seemed to have spent all day on the phone cancelling cards."
"Please, Arthur, don't take any more cabs and keep yourself safe!"
"Will do!" said Arthur laughing, "I'll phone as I leave London. Love you!"
"Right back atcha!" Merlin said with an American accent and hung up as he heard Arthur laugh.