A/N: It's taken me at least three days to add in just a few necessary sentences. I am so sorry about that.
A/N2:Happy Mother's Day from the UK!

Part 19

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Rising slowly from her seat, Donna stood gawping at Roderick's retreating back. What the hell had just happened?! Was this a new tactic of his? She wouldn't put it passed him. For a start, the loving looks just wasn't him. It had never been his method. Schmooze, yes; and the odd bit of charm, but nothing as seductive as that kiss he had just placed on her hand.

"I take it he said something to you about me," Jocasta tried to calmly say as she re-entered the kitchen. "Sorry, I couldn't resist overhearing."

"He did," Donna admitted, unsurprised by the confession. "But not very much. It must have been a shock after all this time. Shall I make us some more tea?"

"Please, dear." With a cautious air, Jocasta edged closer to the table and leaned against it. "My father was a Housemaster, at St James Cathedral School. You may have heard of it? Anyway, Peterson was one of his more eager older pupils."

"You don't have to explain it to me, Jocasta," Donna kindly insisted.

"Maybe, dear, but I want to." She looked bashfully down at her threaded fingers. "When I met him it was just before his eighteenth birthday, and I was somewhat older than him; almost eight years. Such a difference would not matter these day but back then I would have been accused of cradle snatching. You probably assumed I am older than that. It's a common mistake, I'm afraid."

"I didn't…," Donna started to deny and then thought better of it when Jocasta snorted.

"I had returned home from university, having procured a small job in a publishing house; keen to make my mark on the world before being faced with the prospect of marriage. Daddy was very adamant that I should."

"Good for him," Donna mumbled in support.

"As usual, there was a gaggle of sixth formers waiting in the house for Daddy to pass favour on them, and amongst them all was a tall, dark-haired handsome but gangly lad who seemed different. There was a geeky charm to Peterson, and I was very flattered that he took such an interest in me. I had bright vibrant auburn hair back in those days, before it darkened and then went this peppery colour. Which rather explains his interest in you… Anyway, as I was saying, I was intrigued by his enthusiasm since my experience with boys was rather limited to say the least; so when he eventually tried to kiss me, I let him." Her head came up then to rest her steady gaze on Donna. "It wasn't supposed to be anything more serious than the odd tryst but Daddy found out after we had met in secret by the boathouse. Mummy was furious, of course, his father was summoned to the school to deal with him, and I was…" Jocasta then sighed deeply. "I was packed off to work for the National Trust in Bath. That's where I met my ex-husband, Tarquin, a short time after."

The silence stretched out between them for a good minute.

"How do you feel about Roderick now? You must have cared about him once," Donna tentatively queried. "He loved you."

"That's as may be," Jocasta tried to dismiss the suggestion. "It was a long time ago, far too long to consider now."

"Not even if there's the chance he still loves you?" Donna quietly insisted.

Jocasta waved a hand towards the kitchen door as if she were slowly swatting a fly. "You saw how much his feelings have stayed the same. All I did was frighten the poor boy."

"He isn't a boy anymore, but a full grown man," Donna reminded her.

"A man who seems to have set his sights on you," Jocasta commented with a bitter undertone, "even though he knows of your involvement with John."

Oh dear! How should she play this? "He's only interested in getting me to work for him again," Donna insisted. "Obviously Daisy isn't up to that task."

"Ah yes. I'd forgotten about his little friend," Jocasta said resignedly, as though that closed the box on the conversation. "He is far from the lovable boy I once knew."

"You don't know the half of it," Donna muttered to herself as Jocasta got up to refill the kettle at the sink. Perhaps it was best that she didn't encourage Jocasta after all. "Just a thought," she then enquired from her employer. "What did your ex-husband look like?"

"Tarquin?" Jocasta pondered, placing the kettle on the AGA. "There was a bit of a paunch on him the last I saw him but I haven't seen him in a few years. But he was tall, rather dashing with dark blonde hair and a moustache when I first met and married him. I'll show you some photos later if you like. Why do you ask, dear?"

"Oh, nothing really," Donna replied, full of curiosity. "I was just wondering." Yeah, wondering why all her heroes were tall dark and handsome instead of blonde and debonair. The pattern was set for an obvious perhaps long held secret of a reason.

John stood surveying their small flock of sheep and the early evening sky beyond them. It would be dark soon even though it was only three o'clock, and he would have to head back to the main farmhouse. His phone had already rung persistently in his pocket; it had been his mother to remind him his uncle and cousin were there. As if he hadn't had his fill of them already that day, if not his whole adult life time. Uncle Donald could wait to ignore him, as far as he was concerned. There'd always be another day for that.

It had been a pleasant walk down towards the farm buildings, but in the diminishing light he could clearly spot the Peterson limousine sitting in their yard. Oh yummy, he thought sarcastically. Part of him idly wondered if his mother had had a chance to throttle his uncle yet; another part sincerely hoped she had. She was certainly a fiery one when riled that was for sure.

As he reached the edge of the barn that held the farm office, John had ordered Jez, his sheepdog, to take himself off into the barn to sleep; and was wondering how he could efficiently escape when there was sudden movement on the other side of the farmyard. The front door to the farmhouse opened and Uncle Donald marched out, closely followed by Ricky and Daisy. It amused John to see Daisy try to daintily pick her way across to their car. No doubt their Ricky would get an ear battering about that later on! He was on a hiding to nothing as it was, what with his father and his girlfriend on his back.

"I am so sorry John wasn't here to see you," Verity was apologising to her brother-in-law, Donald Peterson. "Perhaps if you wanted to wait a little bit longer…?"

"We have things to do, Verity," Donald sternly told her as he reached the car and waited for William, their driver, to open the door. "Come on, Roderick."

Roderick was kissing his aunt on the cheek goodbye, and added in a brief hug, to her amazement. "Goodbye Aunt Verity. Thank you, as always," he quietly told her.

"Bye, pet," she answered, and took the opportunity to grab him into a bigger hug. "You come back and see me, you hear?"

He nodded his agreement, and then Daisy spoke her goodbye before climbing into the car as carefully as she could.

In next to no time, the Petersons were driving away in the early evening light. No mention had been made of the nature of their pressing business, and it hadn't occurred to the Smiths to ask.

Watching the car drive away, Verity remarked tersely to herself, "Where is that boy?" Her eyes darted up towards where his possible journey home would be.

Little did she know that he was creeping around the outer edge of the farmyard towards the Land Rover at that very second. He was intent on grabbing back a chance to spend some quality time with his girlfriend without being cross examined.

It had been at least an hour or so for Jocasta of closely observing a tender moment between Donna and her young man. In fact she had sat and made some copious notes for her next novel as she had sat in her comfy armchair; but time was getting on and an important call had to be made.

Chuckling to herself, Jocasta picked up the phone and surreptitiously phoned her friend. "Hello, Verity? It's Jocasta," she announced in hushed tones. Peeping around the kitchen doorframe towards her lounge for a moment, she then continued to talk quietly. "I thought I'd better let you know that John is here."

"John!" Verity squealed with relief and anger. "Thank God he is safe, I had begun to have visions of him lying hurt and bleeding in a ditch somewhere. What is he doing there?"

"Well, he is sleeping at the moment; nicely snuggled up with Donna on my sofa," Jocasta informed her.

And indeed he was, his whole body wrapped around Donna from behind as they lay fully stretched out on the cushions.

"When did he appear?" was Verity's next question.

Jocasta had to think about that. "Ooh, it must have been round about four o'clock, I suppose. He looked rather anxious and even more apologetic when I made him take off his wellington boots and leave them in the back porch," she supplied with a chuckle. "Now you are not to worry about the poor boy. He was practically dead on his feet when he turned up on my doorstep. I've fed him, they settled down to watch television together, and before I knew it they were sound asleep like two cosy puppies."

"Hmm." Verity was not pleased with her son but what could she do now about it? "Thanks for letting me know, Jocasta. Just send him home when he wakes up."

"Ah. He may be a little late, judging by how soundly he is sleeping. I'm going to leave him where he is for now and send him home first thing in the morning… if that is okay with you?" Jocasta offered. "He said that he made sure the sheep are okay before he came here, so you needn't worry about them yet."

Knowing she was defeated for the time being, Verity agreed. "Very well. Send him home when you can. Good night." Sighing, she put the phone down.

Voicing her own farewell, Jocasta ended the call and glanced at her sleeping beauties. They were rousing themselves, having probably been disturbed by her call. It was extremely sweet to watch them, so she stayed hidden from view in order to see what else they would do.

It began with John pressing tender kisses on Donna's neck. She then turned within his loose embrace and they exchanged several small touches of lips that steadily grew in time and intensity. Then they inevitably rolled together until he was on top of her body, lying between her legs, and they were mouthing each other with more amorous groans and deepening kisses. Jocasta felt it was best to make her presence known when his hand wandered down onto Donna's thigh in order to caress a path upwards underneath her skirt using his palm.

Using a well-placed cough, and quelling a laugh as they hastily sought to rearrange themselves in a flurry of embarrassment, Jocasta stepped into her lounge.

"Ah, I see you are awake," she remarked without looking at them directly. "I've just spoken to your mother, John, and told her you will be spending the night here on my sofa."

John looked stunned. "That is very kind of you. Thank you. Did she erm… say anything else?"

"No, not really," she replied airily, adding in a bit of obviously thinking play acting. "Just that you should get home as soon as you can in the morning."

The anxiety on his faced eased away. Phew! He was off the hook, for a few more hours at least.

"I get to keep you all night," Donna seductively whispered in his ear to tease him.

His face immediately flushed bright red as a direct result. It was all very well her trying to torment him but they were in the home of her employer, and they'd already been caught snogging. Huffing out a breath, he adjusted his collar and offered, "Shall I make us all some tea?"