Author's note: December sunshine in St. Ives...
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Barbara thought about those last words, that she was his.
How can he dare?! I'm not his, I'm an independent person. revoltet one side.
I'm his and lost. And by the way, he's mine. conceded the other side with a little butterfly uproar in her belly.
But the revolting side won. "I am not yours, Sir!"
Thomas looked slightly amused. "Right, you're not mine, Havers."
He squeezed her shoulder. "But you are, Barbara."
"I am not!" she insisted.
Thomas stopped walking and turned to her. "Barbara, you are my girl, my baby, my sweetie. I love you. That's why you're mine."
Barbara was touched but still looked sceptical. Thomas nearly whispered now.
"You're mine, like I am yours. With my head, with my heart and! ...with my hips."
Now Barbara couldn't decide if she would cry, melt or chuckle. This was the cutest declaration of love she ever heard.
"Oh, and with that lovebite you've left on my neck." Thomas added.
So, Barbara chuckled. "I've had to mark you as being already taken."
"...see?" Thomas lowered his head to kiss her gently.
I'm his. Barbara gave in.
"What have I told you lately about patience, Thomas?!" she smiled at him.
They went on northwards into the direction of the Saint Ives Museum. But instead of going in - they decided to keep that in mind for a not so lovely, sunny day - they went down the cliff stairs to one of the beaches. It was very tiny and sheltered from the wind. Some dog owners strolled their dogs and immediately Thomas was distracted.
"When I retire I'll get me a dog." he raved. "Or two."
"Or three. Or four." Barbara finished.
"You got me!" he grinned.
Barbara was walking one stony step above Thomas and looked three feet down on him. They both turned into the direction of the sun and the water and watched the dogs chasing each other. Barbara leant her knees against Thomas' shoulders to keep physical contact. Thomas stroke her calf behind his back.
After a while he told her he had to walk the beach and so he climbed over the big stones down to the sand. While Barbara sat down in the sun he strolled around. She watched him and knew he would play with at least one of the dogs in a few minutes.
An old lady feebly climbed down the stairs followed by a very young Labrador dancing around her, obviously delirious with joy to go to the beach. She sat down on one of the big seating steps near the stairs and repeatingly threw a ball that the pup retrieved.
When the ball came to a halt in front of Thomas' feet the pup finally found an equal partner and the old lady could read her newspaper in peace.
For the first time in those three days in Cornwall Barbara wanted to smoke. She realised that she had left her cigarettes at Howenstow and hadn't felt the urge to smoke in all that time there anyway, not even at that great dinner when there were some smokers around.
Well, so be it. she thought and giggled to herself. Stop smoking, start shagging.
Her mobile rang. Without checking the caller ID she answered. "Havers."
"Hey, Barb, where're you rovin' 'bout?! I've tried to get you out to the Savoy but you seem to be not at home?!"
"Winnie!" He heard my thoughts, that daft bloke. Barbara laughed. "Right, errr... I'm not at home for some days."
"Where exactly are you? Don't say you've followed him to his lordly country estate!"
"What?!" Barbara clearly understood his insinuation.
"Are you at Howenstow, you little hussy?!" Winston laughed.
"Oh, shut up!"
"So you are?!"
"No, I'm not, Winston!" Truth. she told herself. It's St. Ives.
"So where are you? I thought to get some drinks with you."
"I'm not in London right now. I'm away with friends." This was no real lie but neither the truth. "And as a reward for your impertinent question I won't tell you where I am. I'll be back soon enough and hopefully recovered from your everlasting impertinence so I can face another hard year next to your desk!"
They bantered along, talking about the actual weather in London and "where Barbara was".
Eventually Thomas saw her speaking on the phone and shouted across the beach.
"Who is it?"
Barbara shook her head and laid a finger on her lips to keep Thomas silent.
Winston had heard Thomas.
"Wasn't that his Lordship?!" he asked.
"I don't know what you've heard." Barbara squirmed herself out of the truth. "There are some people around."
Even if Winston couldn't see her she reddened. He always had a way to know exactly what was up. And in fact he knew his guv's voice.
Ignoring her effort to keep him silent Thomas came by and asked again who that was she was talking to. That sweet young Labrador still was on his side demanding to continue their ball game.
Barbara rolled her eyes, glared at him and shook her head.
"Don't gimme that crap, Barb! This is Lynley."
"No." So, this was the first lie.
"I call him from landline to check out if the background sounds are equal. That okay with you?"
Barbara could literally feel his nasty smirk.
"Say, Winnie, don't you have some work to do?" Barbara laughed nervously.
"All finished. That's why I wanted a pint with you."
They went on talking about how they both had spent Christmas. Barbara just told him about "a nice dinner with friends and a lovely time away from work and the dusty world of London". She had the feeling that he wasn't fully buying it. After an exchange about the weather forecast they ended the call.
"I'll be back next year, Winnie."
"And convey my greetings to your Lordship, Barb!" were Winston's last words before he hung up.
"Oh, you bloody..." Barbara cursed disconnecting the line. Then she flashed angrily at Thomas who was still standing in front of her.
"Thomas, couldn't you at least try to understand the simple gesture of Shut up! when it's needed? This was Nkata, and he exactly understood where I am and with whom I am." She glared at him again.
"Oh." said Thomas.
"Yes, oh. And I've denied it. But I hate to lie to him. I already hate to hide us anyway."
Barbara nearly cried. Winston Nkata was the best colleague she ever head. Well, that is to say apart from Thomas. Winnie always takes everything lightly, he joked and smiled, did his job and took her out for a pint or a walk afterwards.
"It will be very hard with Winnie digging all the time, because he always poked fun on me."
"About what?" Thomas asked.
"About me and you." Barbara stuffed her hands into the pockets of her coat and looked grimly across the water.
Winston mostly sat at a desk near Barbara and so he could tell from her ever blushing face and her general behaviour concerning him that she felt something for Lynley. And he always teased her about it though he never seemed to absolutely take it serious. Not that serious as the crush on Lynley in fact had been and definitely not that serious as their relationship now had developed.
Thomas handed the ball back to the old lady and they thanked each other for playing with the dog. Then he climbed the seating steps and sat down next to Barbara.
"He's a clever boy." he said. "And I think he will be the first to be told of our news."
He put an arm around Barbara's shoulders and she huddled close to him.
"Do you mind if we involve him from the beginning?" Thomas suggested. "He's our closest colleague and we're working side by side. I think it'll only be fair to tell him soon."
"Mhm!" Barbara nodded. Then she giggled. "Or we could let him find it out on his own. Some scene that'll abash him."
"Such as I yank you aside and we filthily snog?"
Barbara blushed, grinned and gave him a dig with her elbow. "Mustn't be so intense, yah, but somethin' like that."
.
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