Chapter 8
The sun was shining at her face when Barbara woke up the next morning, She hadn´t drawn the curtains shut as the liked seeing how the weather was when waking up. Here in this lovely room it was much nicer than at home as the morning sun was coming right in.
Looking at her watch she noticed it was 8.15 am and she also heard noises downstairs through the slightly open door.
She got up, dressed and went down smelling freshly brewed coffee all the way. "Good morning Sir!" she said entering the kitchen.
Tommy turned to Barbara holding a freshly filled mug up to her: "Good morning Barbara! Are you up to coffee again?"
"You bet. It smells heavenly. Thanks," she took the mug and sat down enjoying the smell and also being looked after. "You know, you really spoil me, Sir. It will be hard to go back home later today."
As Tommy had planned their day together in his head last night he got totally off guard by her saying, it hadn´t occurred to him that Barbara wanted to go home today already so he turned to prepare a cooked breakfast and figuring out how he could make her stay.
"Do you have something important to do at home?" he asked.
"The normal things like washing, ironing, cleaning, what I normally do on a Saturday. And also to leave you to whatever you have to do, Sir!" was her answer.
Tommy finished the cooking and sat down opposite Barbara putting a plate in front of her and one in front of him.
"As I want to take a little trip to the country today to just enjoy the nice spring weather I was wondering if you would like to join me? The housework can wait and a bit of enjoying the sun would do us both good," Tommy tried to persuade her.
Barbara took her first bite of her breakfast which was delicious and thought about it. It would be nice to spend another day with Tommy outside work. It would be something she could treasure after he found someone suitable for him again. Today she could just believe he was hers and with one thing he was totally right, the washing could wait.
"What have you planned, Sir?" Better to know before than just saying yes," Barbara said with a grin and got on enjoying her breakfast.
Tommy noticed that her appetite was back to normal again and it satisfied him that she enjoyed his cooking.
"There is this Estate I wanted to visit for a long time, a friend told me about it and its great grounds to walk with deer all around. It´s Dyrham Park, it belongs to the National Trust and it´s about two hours away. That´s why I waited for good weather to make it worth the trip. What do you think?" he sounded really enthusiastic telling her.
"Sounds nice and as it´s the National Trust there should be a tearoom too I hope," Barbara answered with a grin making Tommy grin too with her comment about the tearoom, she really liked to eat why she didn´t cook herself he was wondering again.
"Okay, then we should start after breakfast, I say," Tommy said beaming at her not being able to hide his delight that she would come with him. Looking at him and seeing his pleasure he only got more attractive to Barbara.
It was nearly 12 pm when they arrived at Dyrham Park. The drive had been pleasant for both the only quarrel was as always about the music.
After parking the car and getting their tickets they decided to go down to the House first so they went down the wide open hills not seeing their destination at first as the House was deep down behind the hills and trees.
When they reached the drive to the House Barbara stopped dead just looking down at the House as she would know it already. "Have you been here before, Barbara?" Tommy asked seeing her look.
Trying to focus on Tommy she shook her head: "No, not really. But somehow I have the feeling of knowing it. Looking down the drive I got this music in my head and also the image of old cars driving down to the House for my inner eye….Oh yes, now I know. That is a scene from "Remains of the day". It must have been shot here I guess."
Seeing Barbara´s delighted face Tommy smiled back at her: "If you say so, I haven´t seen that one but when we are down and inside I´m sure there is someone we can ask if you want to be sure."
"You don´t know the film?" Barbara sounded really surprised. "It´s great but sad, it´s with Emma Thompson and Antony Hopkins, one of this really great films you have to know! I´ll give you the DVD on Monday."
They went on down to the House and were greeted by a nice old gentleman at the entrance. A German couple had just went in before them and as there was no one behind them Tommy asked: "Is it right that "Remains of the day" was filmed here? My partner thought she recognized the House?"
"Then she is right, Sir. The outside filming was done here and also some scenes in the kitchen you will see later," was his beaming answer.
Barbara had to smile at Tommy´s choice of using the word "partner". The nice old gentleman would surely not guess that they were working partners.
And as Tommy had read her thoughts he put his arm around her shoulders as they went on in the Great Hall after some more information from the nice gentleman.
"You gave him the wrong impression, Sir!" Barbara whispered but couldn´t hide a grin. Tommy gave her an innocent look: "Did I?"
In the Great Hall they had a look around. It was really grand with lots of old big pictures in it and at one end stood a grand piano.
As you were allowed to play it the German couple was at it. The guy started to play a nice simple tune and the girl started singing to it:
"Dat du min Leevsten büst, dat du woll weeßt.
Kumm bi de Nacht, kumm bi de Nacht, segg wo du heeßt,
kumm bi de Nacht, kumm bi de Nacht, segg wo du heeßt."
To Tommy´s surprise Barbara started humming the tune and as if she couldn´t help it she started to sing along with the girl in two voices for the next verses:
"Kumm du üm Middernacht, kumm um Klock een!
Vader slöpt, Moder slöpt, ick slap aleen.
Vader slöpt, Moder slöpt, ick slap aleen.
Klopp an de Kammerdör, fat an de Klink!
Vader meent, Moder meent, dat deit de Wind.
Vader meent, Moder meent, dat deit de Wind."
When they finished Tommy started clapping and the girls said:" Oh, Sie sind auch Deutsch?"
Barbara shook her head: "No, we´re not. I totally forgot about this song until you started playing. It was my music teacher´s favourite song, she was half German."
"It´s a nice song but it sounds a bit strange for German," Tommy put in. The German guy answered to that:" It is, it is an old German language called "Plattdeutsch". It´s only still spoken in the northern parts of Germany like Welsh here, I guess."
"Oh, okay, or Cornish." Tommy said.
They talked on for a little while and then the couple went on. "Do you play the piano, Sir?" Barbara asked.
"As a matter of fact I do," Tommy answered, "And I´m willing to play for you if you tell me what the song was about."
Copying his tone Barbara´s answer was: "As a matter of fact I know. It´s about a young girl inviting her lover to come to her in the night while her parents are sleeping. It´s an old German folk song."
Hearing this Tommy sat down at the piano tested some keys and then started playing a wonderful romantic tune. When he finished he noticed that Barbara had tears in her eyes: "This is beautiful, Sir, What is it?"
"I will only tell you if you call me Tommy for the rest of the day, Barbara? We are here out of work and we are friend so it can´t be that big a problem."
The earnest sound of his voice made her to give in: "Alright, Tommy," she said watching him carefully.
She hadn´t thought his special smile for her could get more beaming but it did. Hearing her saying his name for the first time made Tommy more happy then he had imagined. Beaming at her he got up and leading her on to the next room with his hand lightly on her side he said: "It was the intermezzo from the opera "Cavalleria Rusticana"."
Barbara gave in to the pleasure to lean slightly to him while answering: "It´s really beautiful, I guess I am going to buy a CD of it."
They went on looking that the other room, bought raffle tickets to help with the leaking roof and Barbara also recognized the kitchen.
After a small lunch in the tearoom they started to walk the garden and then the wide meadows and hills watching the deer grazing in the grounds.
It was a wonderful harmonic time for both of them just enjoying each other´s company. So when they looked down at the House again Barbara couldn´t resist it and said with a mischievous grin: "It´s a lot bigger than your place," Seeing Tommy´s face she started to run away but he was faster grabbing her arm and dragging her in his arms he growled: "Shut up!" and then he gave in to the urge and kissed her.
First she was shocked but then it felt wonderful and she responded as he had hoped.
When they broke apart both a bit breathless Barbara leant in on Tommy her head in his chest sighing. Tommy put his arms around her and facing the House he just had to say it: "But at least my roof isn´t leaking!"
Feeling Barbara laugh at his chest made him incredibly happy.
As in silent agreement they started their way back to the car park hand in hand.
On the drive back they decided to watch "Remains of the day" together. They stopped at Barbara´s flat to fetch the DVD and then at an Indian take-away to get dinner.
Back at Tommy´s place they made themselves comfortable in front of the TV with their dinner and a bottle of wine this time.
They watched the scenes filmed at Dyrham Park talking a bit about it and how it looked now and as the film got on Barbara cuddled up beside him until the end.
Tommy had gone quiet at the end thinking about the film. Suddenly he made Barbara turn and face him.
"You know what? I won´t back this mistake!" he said quite vehemently.
"What mistake?" Barbara was looking confused at him.
"The one this Stevens made! He put his personal life and happiness behind his unconditional acquittal denying his own real love and failed to act on his feelings. I won´t do that. Please listen to me Barbara. I felt for quite a while now that there is so much more I feel for you than just being good friends. I tried to ignore it, I tried to stay back from you as I didn´t want to ruin what we have also not knowing your feelings for me but this last few days showed me that it wouldn´t ruin anything. Being with you makes it only better. I feel whole for the first time in years and thinking about it, you have always made me feel whole. You´re a part of me I can´t live without and I hope I make you feel the same."
With that said at last he bent down to kiss her. He just stopped to see if it was what she wanted too and to give her the space to back off if he had misread everything that happened the last days.
Looking at him with this incredible green eyes he loved so much and which already told him all he needed to know Barbara said: "You don´t have to hope, Tommy! You do!" She closed the distance between them to kiss him and it felt right. It also felt right to go up with him to his bedroom this night…
It was already 10 am Sunday morning when Tommy woke up. It had been the best night of his life so far but now he felt something wasn´t right. He opened his eyes and his fear became reality, Barbara wasn´t there but a note was lying beside him.
A/N: Thanks again for the appreciated reviews of the other chapters. Regarding this one I entered a little episode of my holiday this year when we visited Dyrham Park and I hope you can also excuse my little German episode. If someone is interested in the song just let me know and I can send a link of a nice version of the song.