Life Changes (Hope Springs Eternal)

by secwaters

The third of my stories about the Swallows, Amazons, Ds and Eels as adults - this one is set in the 1980s. Once again to make sense of some of the story it helps to have read my previous two! (Rated T as it is really for adult readers who are familiar with all the S & A books.) I've given this a new title as the original has been used here - apologies!

6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER VI

THE BISCUIT TIN

The biscuit tin in one of Dot's desk drawers was one Timothy had given her the Christmas before they became lovers, the tin was designed, and bought, for its appearance and not for its contents. She treasured it as soon as he had given it to her, and when they did become lovers it was the perfect place to keep the letters he sent to her and continued to do so over their twenty years together.

In the early days and weeks of their affair these were just short notes, affectionate and appreciative remembrances of an afternoon or evening they had spent together. Then, when there were sometimes many days or weeks between their assignations, he wrote longer letters, always expressions of his feelings for her, sometimes his opinions on a book he had recently read, an account of places he had visited or his views on a subject that he knew they shared an interest in.

There were two of the letters that were particularly treasured by Dot, not that any of them weren't, but two were of the most importance to her. The oldest of the two she read and re-read in those times when she was parted from him.

The particular letter, one she had not been expecting, was written and posted so that she received it on the day he got married. Like many of the others it was full of expressions of love and desire, how he loved her both physically and emotionally and would always do so, and it was an outpouring of his regrets of entering in to the marriage, and sorrow on his part for doing so. To her own surprise it gave her some comfort on that day, she knew the marriage was a mistake and that Timothy had been deceived, she was not jealous of his wife, no matter what ceremony the two of them went through it was she, Dot, who would continue to enjoy his true attentions.

The other treasured letter was the last one she had placed in the tin, one she had received just a couple of months ago. At the time Timothy had not visited her for some weeks, he had written to her, but not previously told her he was ill. Now that she shared a house with Dick and Titty his visits had become more difficult, so the long gap between them had not concerned her, though she missed him. In this letter he told her he was feeling better, he had been to hospital for some routine tests and when he was once more able and he would make cause to travel to London, he would then arrange to come and see her.

There was, of course, no more.

Two weeks later the news came from Dick, a late night telephone call from John, that Timothy had suddenly died.