This story is the first part of a series. The follow up to this piece is "A New Beginning", followed by "Not Yet the End", "Baby Steps", and "Wonderful, Wonderful" in that order. I hope you enjoy :)

She needed a new start. And that's just what she got. But she didn't think it would be anything like this. She was completely prepared to knit tea cozies and join a bingo hall. She'd get up in the morning, make herself breakfast, tend to her garden, go and see the old girls, that is, if she was up to it, come back home, make supper, watch telly, go to bed and start again the next day.

Alright, maybe she wouldn't go that far.

That was the point of the whole thing, wasn't it? The point of coming to India was to get away from all that. Escape from the mundane routine she'd seen so many of her friends fall victim to. She was determined that she wouldn't spend her final years becoming a stuffy old granny with blue rinse in her hair and a shawl about her shoulders. Granted, she wasn't expecting to join a kick-boxing class or take up belly dancing, but she wanted something different. Something new. A bit of excitement.

'Careful what you wish for' she thought with a smile. A bit of excitement indeed.

She never imagined she could fall in love again at such a late stage of life. She thought she'd closed the chapter on romance when her husband died, and yet here she was. She found herself sitting on an empty bench in the Indian sun, thoughts awhirl with nothing but pleasant memories of Douglas. She found herself getting butterflies at the very mention of his name, as if she were a teenage girl again. She found herself feeling free. She found herself…

That was it.

She was finding herself.

She was finding herself, and finding love, and finding everything she'd ever wanted. It was all wrapped up in him.

Her Douglas.

Her grin grew wider and she made no effort to hide it. She couldn't remember being this giddy or carefree, even with her husband, though she had loved him. She loved their time together, but it had come to an end. And now the time for dwelling on the past had also come to an end. Now was the time to look to the future, and for the first time in a long time, she looked forward to the endless possibility of it all. No longer would she settle for a monotone, flat-line existence. Just a weary trudge to the grave and a heap of dirt thereafter. No. She now had a future full of life and love and wonderful memories waiting to be made. For the first time in a long time she had hope.

She couldn't wait for Douglas to get back from the market. After their last encounter with the salesmen of the streets of Jaipur, she was almost sure he'd managed to snag himself some sort of deal on whatever he'd gathered for their tea. She chuckled softly to herself at the image of him trying to negotiate the price of an orange with one of the vendors.

He looked out over the balcony to see her sitting on the pale painted bench. There was a contented smile on her lips and her eyes were closed against the bright Indian sun which illuminated her face and set a glow about her hair that made it an angelic white. It almost gave off light of its own. Just like she did. The light of his life.

His new life.

With her.

His Evelyn.

Douglas stood leaning in one of the archways that overlooked the garden. He took a few moments for himself just to admire her, the weight of the bag in his hand no longer a burden. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have found her. True, he had loved Jean once upon a time, but they both knew their marriage was over. If he was honest with himself, it had been over long before they came to India. They were cordial with each other when they needed to be, but… the spark of romance they'd once had had gone out. Somewhere along the line she'd changed. Perhaps they both had. The only reason he held on for so long, he mused, was because he didn't think he'd get another chance. The last years had felt like one big charade. A circus.

And he was the head clown.

If he let go of Jean, he would have been flying off the trapeze with no safety net, no one to catch him on the other side. He could almost see himself as he let go of his wife's hands, hurtling toward his death with no hope of… of anything.

But then there was Evelyn.

Whether she knew it or not, she had rescued him. Caught him as he was falling into the sad existence of that bitter old man he swore he'd never become. He would spend the rest of his life trying to repay her for that, but he didn't mind in the least. He loved her with everything he had, and he decided if he was going to spend the rest of his life in anyone's debt, he was glad it was Evelyn. He knew she'd never hold it over his head, unlike some soon-to-be ex-wives he could name. She'd always be there to stop him from falling, and he'd be her safety net when she needed one. And that's what love is, he supposed. Someone to fly with. Someone you could trust to catch you from falling and know they won't let go.

A slight rustle broke him out of his thoughts and he looked down to see Evelyn getting off the bench and softly padding her way over to the stairs. She'd just grabbed the railing and looked up to see him smiling down at her. She smiled back at him and looked toward the ground as she made the short climb up to meet him, all the while trying to hide the girlish giggle that was threatening to bubble out of her. He saw her bite her lip and knew instantly. He felt his heart grow warm to know that she was just as head over heels in love as he was.

"Hello," he said softly.

"Hello yourself. How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long," he said, his voice going a little higher.

She smirked. "How long is 'not long'?"

"About 5 minutes, give or take"

"Not long then," She smiled and nodded toward the bag in his hand. "Did you manage alright by yourself?"

He looked down and rummaged lightly through the bag he'd almost forgotten he was holding. "Yes I did, actually. I got a good price on the fruit. They will try to overcharge you, but I think I managed to get round it." He looked up as Evelyn giggled softly "What?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She smiled. "Shall we go in, then?"

"Yes. Of course." He smiled and held his arm out, motioning for her to walk alongside him.

His hand fit perfectly on the small of her back and she loved the soft warmth there. They walked through to the kitchen and she sat watching as he slowly unpacked his shopping and started setting things where they should be for him to prepare the meal. She almost stood up to help him, but she remembered how he'd all but insisted that she let him cook for her and thought better of it. She giggled silently when she heard him humming to himself as he sliced a pepper. She'd never seen him this happy before and she felt a twinge of pride that she'd been the partial cause of it. She would never let herself believe that she was the sole cause of his happiness, even if it was entirely true. But she knew without a doubt that he was the reason for hers.

He smiled. "Evelyn?"

She woke from her thoughts with a slight start. "Sorry?"

"Could you get the fruit out? I would, but my hands are a bit…" He held his pepper-stained hands in front of him and wiggled his fingers

"Sorry. Of course." She nodded and got the bag from the worktop, carefully taking out the fruit and arranging it in the small bowl in the center of the table. She turned back to where he was working and closed her eyes to smell the intoxicating aroma of the beautiful curry dish he was preparing. She couldn't wait to taste it. She could almost feel the peppers tingling on her… lips?

She opened her eyes and gasped slightly as she felt Douglas' lips gently touch her own. A faint blush colored her cheeks and for a moment, he couldn't read her expression. Thinking he may have overstepped a line too quickly, he apologized,

"Sorry. I… I'm not sure why-"

"No, no. It's quite alright." She blushed and looked down.

Butterflies

"Actually I…" She trailed off.

"Yes?" he whispered, unable to hide the hope in his voice.

"I was hoping you might do it again," she said, just barely audible above the sizzle of the steaming pan. Blue eyes peered up at him with that certain shyness that he'd come to adore.

He froze for just a moment, then put his fingertips to her jawline and kissed her again. It was still gentle, but there was a certainty in it this time around. He pulled away and smiled at her, then his eyes darted to her cheek.

"Oh… sorry" he murmured. He gently wiped the thin pinkish stain of red pepper from her cheek, noting that her now gently flushed face had taken on a similar hue.

He did so love it when she blushed.

She smiled at his gentle gesture and then directed his attention back to the food, which threatened to burn if he wasn't careful. It was safe to say he needed the reminder as he got more and more lost in her eyes by the second.

She bit her lip with a small grin and sat back down at the table to watch as he put the finishing touches on their meal. He served her first, then himself and poured them both a glass of wine.

"To a new start." He raised his glass and it clinked delicately with hers.

They peered at each other over the rims of their wine glasses and found themselves smiling as the bold flavor washed over their tongues. She noted he'd chosen a wine with a bit of citrus to compliment the curry, no doubt. He watched her carefully as she took her first bite and her quiet moan of approval was all he needed to hear as he let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Alright?"

"Very alright." She smiled. And she meant it. She took another bite and watched him tuck into his own portion, glancing up at her with a slight smile.

Yes. This is what she looked forward to. Moments like this. For the first time in a long time, she had hope for the future. For the first time in a long time, she genuinely felt that things were alright. But she knew in her heart that this wasn't the end. No.

This was just the beginning.

After dinner Evelyn helped Douglas with the dishes, then they sat down to a movie, with Evelyn curled up beside Douglas on the small sofa in the sitting room. It all felt nice enough, but Evelyn couldn't help that little part of her brain wondering what would have happened if she'd met Douglas sooner. What would have happened if she'd married him instead of her husband? She sighed quietly. As she'd told herself before, there is no past that we can bring back by longing for it. Only a future that creates itself as the past withdraws. And one thing she knew for certain was that she was looking forward to the future she would create with Douglas.

She supposed that it was all meant to happen this way. Maybe now her 'happily ever after' would mean a bit more than it did before.

"You think too much, you know." He kissed her forehead.

"Sorry." She smiled

"Don't be. What were you thinking about?"

"The past mostly. What would have happened if I'd met you earlier in life. If I'd married you."

"I don't know. But we can never really know, can we?"

"I suppose we can't, no."

"I think... that maybe we've both spent enough time dwelling on the past. There's no sense in wishing and thinking about what could have been. We've got to take what we've got now and go with it." He turned in further so he could face her properly and took her hands in both of his. "I've had enough of the past. I want to spend as much time as possible building our future together."

"Do you really want to be stuck with me that long?"

"I want to be stuck with you for as long as I possibly can be. And then a little more." He smiled down at her and kissed her gently on the lips.

He pulled back for a moment and looked into her eyes, which were still the most beautiful shade of blue he'd ever seen. He cupped her face in his hands and brought their lips together again, this time, with more determination. Evelyn leaned in to meet him and let out a small whimper. This kiss was definitely different. There was passion there, and they both felt it.

Evelyn slid her hands up Douglas's arms and pulled him closer to her as their kissing grew more heated. Or as heated as it had ever got between the two of them. Evelyn silently mused that compared to what Madge would be telling her to do right about now, this was quite tame. Despite that knowledge, her nerves were still nagging at her. She hadn't been with anyone since her husband died, and though she doubted she'd forgotten how to go about it all together, she was still afraid that she'd disappoint him. What if she'd lost all her talent in that area? Surely he'd expect a bit more than her lying there thinking of England.

Douglas heard another quiet moan between their tingling lips and it took him a moment to realize it was him that made the sound this time. He'd never kissed someone before and had it feel so good… so perfectly right. Suddenly his nerves got hold of him. What if he couldn't deliver? What if she thought he was a great kisser, then he got her into the bedroom and everything fell apart? She had probably already guessed that he and Jean hadn't been intimate in a long time. In fact, they'd slept in separate beds for ages. What if he disappointed her? He wasn't exactly 20 anymore. He knew for a fact that certain things didn't work the way they used to, but he prayed to whatever deity happened to be listening that he hadn't gone that far over the hill.

They knew it would come to this eventually. Granted, they both thought they'd have a little more time.

"Now who thinks too much?" She smiled, pulling away, her breathing slightly ragged.

"What?"

She tried to read his face. "If you don't want this-"

"No. That's… that's not it. I just… I didn't think things would move this fast."

"Neither did I." She looked down at her lap again and fidgeted with her fingers, suddenly appalled at how close she was to taking Madge up on her advice.

"I don't want to rush you. We don't have to…" He trailed off.

"Do you want to?" she asked quietly.

"Honestly, I would love to make love to you. Granted, I didn't think we'd get to this part so quickly, but now that we're here I don't want you to go rushing into it just because you think it's what I want. You mean too much to me for me to do that. I want you to be ready. If you want to do this, we can, but if not, I don't mind waiting. I'll wait for you for as long as it takes."

She looked at him with nothing but love in her eyes. Where most men would have been pushing her to go on, he was giving her a way out. She could have cried, but she silently berated herself, knowing such an action would have completely ruined whatever mood they'd got going.

She took his hand and stood up, pulling Douglas up with her, and looked into his eyes. She stood on her toes and reached up to gently kiss him again, and they both smiled as they pulled apart. She took his hand and silently walked him through to her bedroom. She felt grateful that she'd tidied up a bit earlier in the day. She turned to him again and their lips immediately found each other. The heat was slowly building to the surface again and they broke apart only when the need for air became too great.

"Douglas I…" she started "I haven't… been with anyone… since my husband," She whispered, unable to meet his eyes.

"It's been a long time for me, too," he said quietly. "I'd never do anything to hurt you. You know that, don't you?" He watched as she nodded. "We'll go slowly."

She kept her gaze lowered as she idly wondered just how long it had been, doubting it was longer for him than it was for her.

He gently lifted her chin to make her look at him. "Evelyn, do you trust me?" He whispered.

"Of course I do." She smiled looking into his eyes.

"I'm very glad to hear that." He bent down and kissed her again; she felt herself melting into his embrace. He pulled away and caressed her cheek and she gently leaned into his touch. She watched him closely as his hands began exploring her body. She shivered slightly when she felt the zip slowly coming undone and Douglas's soft lips kissing her neck. He walked them both over to the bed and held her eyes for a moment, silently asking her permission before he pulled the garment from her shoulders and let it flutter to the floor. She closed her eyes as she felt another tug at the fabric of her trousers and soon the fresh air hit her legs as she became more exposed than she had been in quite a while. She silently berated herself for not having more interesting underwear. Beige cotton knickers from Marks and Spencer didn't exactly get the blood racing. She should have asked Madge to take her shopping…

She felt his hand on her cheek again and her eyes slowly fluttered open. She let her gaze slowly travel up his face before she finally met his eyes again. He knew she expected to find revulsion and disgust, so he gave her a moment to study his face before softly whispering,

"Beautiful."

He kissed her neck again, softly playing his lips over her pulse point and a shudder went through her body. She believed him. She actually believed him. She was expecting it to sound like a lie. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized just how beautiful he made her feel. It was the way he looked her. Stolen glances when he thought she wasn't paying attention. The way his eyes darted away from her just as she turned to face him. She smiled. She felt beautiful and wanted. And… dare she say it?

She felt sexy.

She bit her lip and took a step closer into him. Douglas watched as her hands trembled slightly while she fiddled with his top button. He took hold of her hands in his and kissed them delicately. She looked up at him.

"Evelyn, if you're having second thoughts… if you don't want to do this then it's okay. I do understand."

"Oh no." She caressed his cheek. He'd misread her completely "I do want to. I most definitely want to." She smiled. "I'm just trying not to be too anxious." She blushed.

He let out a small laugh and reached up to stroke her hair before he placed a small kiss on the top of her head.

"I'm just glad I'm not the only one excited about this." He smiled and got her to lie down on the bed. He lay down beside her and hovered over her slightly as he kissed her some more.

She pulled away and raised an eyebrow. "I realize it's been a while and you may not remember everything, but… I do believe you're a bit overdressed for the occasion." She smiled.

"I do believe you're right. I should probably do something about that then," he said with a small smile.

He slipped off his shoes and moved back up the bed to lie beside her, she turned over to face him and found him smiling at her. He put his hand on her hip and pulled her closer to him before placing a few small kisses on her lips. Evelyn turned onto her back and let Douglas hover over her, leaning down to kiss her some more. He was watching her intently, looking for any kind of sign that she wanted to stop.

"Evelyn…"

She caressed his cheek, touched by his unwavering care for her needs above his own.

"It's alright. I'm alright. Please… don't stop."

She smiled up at him as she began unbuttoning his shirt and sliding it off his shoulders. Douglas removed his trousers before turning his attention back to Evelyn. Douglas hooked his fingers under the elastic of her waistband and removed her underwear gently, noticing the worried look on her face despite her best efforts not to let it show.

"Hey. Please don't be afraid. You look beautiful." He whispered.

She smiled back at him as he leaned down and brought her into another kiss. Feeling a moment of bravery, she decided to make the most of it before it passed. She tugged at his underwear and helped him slide out of it. Her eyes travelled down his body, which was well kept for a man of his age. She couldn't help herself staring at his uniquely male anatomy, noting with a shiver of excitement that he was bigger than her husband. She'd never really been one to care much about those types of things but with Douglas, she found herself discovering all sorts of things about herself.

"Am I… am I okay?" he asked. He tried to sound indifferent about it, but she knew her answer mattered to him just as much as his approval mattered to her.

"Very okay." She smiled.

He smiled and kissed her again, their passion building with each passing second. She felt his tongue brush her lower lip seeking entry, which she happily granted. It had been so long since anyone had kissed her like this. It made her head spin. She'd never felt passion like this before. She felt his hands slide under her to undo the clasp of her bra and she expected herself to tense, but she found herself not caring. He slid the straps from her shoulders and tossed the garment across the room, not really caring where it landed as he was too busy taking in the sight of her magnificent bosom. She glanced down at herself and realized she was now completely bared to his view and he was bare to her view as well.

They took a moment to just look at each other. If she was a little rounder in some places, he didn't seem to mind. If he wasn't as toned or muscular as he once was, it didn't bother her. All that mattered was that they were there together. She reached out and laced her fingers with his, gently tugging him on top of her again. She smiled and kissed him firmly, reaching around to the back of his head and holding him to her lips for as long as possible.

She felt him gently tug away and kiss his way down to her breasts, paying them their due attention. He made good use of his lips and tongue, licking and teasing, swirling and suckling in all the right places, and with just the right amount of pressure. She squirmed beneath his touch wondering if she'd orgasm just from his attention to her breasts. Just when she thought she'd reached the edge of her control he eased away and continued his descent.

He peered up at her from between her thighs and gently pushed her legs a bit wider. He had never done this with Jean, though he'd asked her on several occasions, but she'd never let him. He desperately wanted to pleasure Evelyn that way, but he'd meant what he said. He didn't want to do anything she was uncomfortable with.

He smiled when she gave him a slight nod. He lowered his mouth to her and kissed her tenderly, eliciting a gasp from her lips. He felt her tense slightly just before she rolled her hips and he wondered if anyone had ever pleasured her like this before. He decided he didn't want to know the answer. If anyone had, he would find himself jealous of whoever had had the pleasure. If he was the first, then he was honored. Either way he was going to make damn sure it would be an experience she wouldn't soon forget.

He gently opened her up with his fingers, letting his tongue slowly drift over her clit and she inhaled sharply and grabbed his hand, which by now was wrapped around her thigh to keep her still. He licked again and she moaned. He gently sucked her clit into his mouth and she arched off the bed.

"Oh god!" she gasped. "Oh… I've never… ohhhh godddd!" she groaned and squirmed.

He smirked and slid a finger into her.

'Well that answers that question,' he thought.

She arched again and grabbed the duvet as she felt him add one finger and then another. It felt so good, she couldn't even begin to describe the sensations coursing through her body. She only knew that she loved it all. It had been ages since hands other than her own had touched her that way, and she'd even given up on that years ago. She rolled her hips again and he curled his fingers to hit that special place within her at just the right moment. Her orgasm slammed into her, catching her by surprise, and she let out a cry of completion which faded into soft whimpers as he slowed his movements, allowing her to ride it out for as long as possible.

He had daydreamed about what she'd look like in the throes of passion but he never imagined anything like the sight before him. She was absolutely magnificent. He licked her nectar from his fingers and to his surprise she pulled him up to kiss him again.

She was a little surprised when she tasted herself on his tongue, but she decided it wasn't unpleasant. It actually excited her and she curled a leg around his thigh to signal she was ready for him. And it was a good thing because he thought he would die if he couldn't have her soon. He rubbed his fingers against her sex just to make absolutely certain she was ready for him. He moaned when he felt how wet she was and felt a stab of pride that he'd caused it all.

She let out a small gasp when she felt him slide inside her, and she gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Have I hurt you?" he asked, with concern in his voice.

"No. I'm alright. Just… give me a moment to adjust," she said shakily.

He remained still for a few minutes before Evelyn loosened her grip on his arm. Her hand found his cheek again as he studied her intently for any sign of pain. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

She smiled. "I'm ready."

"You're sure?"

She nodded. "Make love to me."

He nodded and leaned down to kiss her as he rolled his hips. She moaned into his mouth and grabbed the back of his head as he pushed into her again. He set a slow steady rhythm, wanting it all to last for as long as possible, but before long their need was too great and she pulled her knees up to counter his thrusts as much as she could. She'd never felt so deliciously wanton in her life. She closed her eyes and bit her lip as she felt herself fast approaching her orgasm.

"It's okay. You can…" he panted.

She shook her head. "I want you with me. "

"Don't worry. I will be. "

A few more thrusts and they climaxed simultaneously, their mutual cries filling the room. White light exploded behind her eyelids as she came harder than she ever had before. He fell forward with her name on his lips as his climax overtook him. He tried to hold himself up so he wouldn't crush her, but his arms felt like jelly and he collapsed on top of her as another wave of pleasure rippled through his body. She felt tremors of her own and she held him to her as she felt him trying to move away.

"No. Please. I… I like the feel of you... the weight… I can't explain it."

"I'll get too heavy for you, " he said, just getting his breath back.

"Maybe in a while, but for now stay. Please. I'll let you know when. " She smiled at him and he nodded. He couldn't deny her anything.

They lay that way for about five more minutes until she gently tapped his shoulder and he carefully rolled to the side of her. She moved closer to him and laid her head on his chest, already missing the weight of him atop her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head. "No. You were wonderful. "

"As were you, " he whispered.

She lifted her head to look at him and he captured her lips in a soft kiss again.

He pulled away when he felt her shoulders shaking and for a moment he thought she was crying, until upon closer inspection, he found she was laughing.

"I thought I was wonderful?" he said.

She shook her head again. "No. It's not you. I was just thinking… Madge would be very proud of me right now."

He chuckled. "If she had her way, we'd have been here long before now. Not that I'd have minded. "

She looked up to see him smirking and swatted his arm. "Behave, you. "

He chuckled and held her tighter. "I love you so much, you know. I didn't think I could find someone like you at my time of life. But you don't know how happy I am to have found you."

"You can't possibly be any happier than I am. " She smiled.

"Would you be willing to bet on that?"

"Yes, actually. I would." She giggled and kissed him again.

He smiled against her lips and let out a contented sigh. "The perfect end to a perfect day. "

She sat up and raised her eyebrow. "Who says this is the end?"

She smirked and kissed him again. She took the increasing hardness against her thigh to mean that he had no objection. She giggled as he rolled on top of her again. Everything was definitely alright.

Just outside the door, Madge tiptoed in from treating herself to a shopping spree in the main square. She crouched and listened carefully for a few seconds and clasped her hand over her mouth to cover her gasp as she heard Evelyn squeal and giggle. She knew that could only mean one thing. At least she knew that's what she wanted it to mean.

She felt a sharp tug on her arm as Muriel yanked her away from the door.

"What are you doing?!"

"What does it look like?" Madge whispered.

"How long have you been there?"

"Not long enough. Now be quiet!" Madge said trying not to raise her voice too loudly.

Muriel rolled her eyes and tugged at her arm again. "Give them some privacy, for goodness sake!"

Madge reluctantly got up and tiptoed with Muriel back down the hallway.

"Well?" Muriel whispered.

"Well what?"

"You know perfectly well 'what'…" Muriel hit her arm. "Did they?"

Madge said nothing, but the corner of her mouth turned up into a smirk and there was a definite twinkle in her eye as she walked down the stairs with Muriel in tow, pressing her for details.