I wasn't going to do another chapter or a sequel for this little story but I have be prompted to, so I thought why not. Chapter the next for Quite by Chance is here, Happiness! Chapter the 2 is based 5 years after chapter the 1.
Quite by Chance
Chapter 2
1920
"Thank you." she took the cup of tea he had made her
"We've got to keep you awake." Roland said
She laughed lightly at his comment. It had been 5 years since they had started working together and even now he was still useless at paperwork. Though now, sometimes, she did get a few biscuits.
"You always keep me awake, just not with tea." She smirked
He blushed at her comment. They were working late at the small cottage hospital they had come back to after the war. Roland had easily got her onto the staff and they now worked together on the pioneering work with music. Tonight was the night they had dedicated to writing up the evidence she had collected. He had bribed her to stay with the promise of tea and some of his best shortbread biscuits.
"Sweetheart, you know I would rather be at home 'keeping you awake' than being here in the dead of night, but the work has to be done." He smiled sympathetically
She looked up at him and gave a quick nod of understanding.
"When this is finished I'm going to kill you. I hope you know that." She told him threateningly
"I know you don't mean that!" he scolded her gently
"Oh, I do. Trust me!" she responded angrily
He stood behind her and slowly caressed the side of her breast, bringing a whimper of response.
"Really?" he asked again
"No, I don't mean it." she sighed
"I knew it." he said victoriously
"Don't be too happy with yourself." She warned "I could stop right now and walk away and leave you to your work."
"You won't." Roland told her
"Oh," she put her pen down, giving him an inquisitive look "any why wouldn't I?"
"Well, because this is not just my work, it's yours as well and I have never known you to give up on something that you have worked so hard on, Grace." He sat back after he had finished, looking rather smug
"I might just surprise you." she said defiantly
"You could never surprise me."
"Hmm." She huffed grumpily "Can you at least help then? I've been sat here for ages and all you've done is bring me cups of tea."
"And biscuits." He added
"And biscuits." She said fairly "Apart from that though, you're not exactly helping, are you Roland."
"I'm sending you positive thoughts." He argued
She raised a suspicious eyebrow "Really?"
"Yes!" he sounded offended, as he pulled her from the chair and into his arms "I'm sending you love and determination."
She still didn't look convinced.
"Darling, I believe you are the best person for this. You've always been best at paperwork and writing up reports."
"I'm so glad, you see me as a way to avoid your paperwork." She gave him a stern look
"Not at all." He insisted "Giving you the report to write up is the way to get it all done quicker. If I had done it, I wouldn't have even finished the first paragraph. I'd be here until the morning."
"That's true." Grace agreed
"See, you doing it means we get back home quicker."
"Roland?"
"Yes."
"I have a little confession to make." She smiled
"What?" he looked confused
"I finished the report a few hours ago." She told him quietly
"What?!" he shouted
"You should take it as a compliment." She tried to reason with him
"How?"
"You make very nice tea." She admitted
"You're very lucky we're married, because I would walk out this door and never come back, if we weren't." he hissed
"You know you wouldn't." she smiled, linking her arms around his neck. When she felt his arms around her waist she knew she had won, this battle
"I hate it when you're wrong." He murmured, against her neck
"No you don't." she mumbled in return
All he could reply was a small moan from her neck. She then pulled away.
"Come on, I think it's time we got home." She suggested
"Definitely." He agreed
She grabbed her cloak from the coat stand, as well as his jacket, which she threw to him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the office. They got into the car and Roland started the engine. The ride home was not a long one but tonight that's the way it seemed. Grace smiled when she saw Roland's want to get home. She smiled kindly at him, laying a hand on his arm to calm him. Roland returned her smile as they pulled up outside their home. Roland had brought her home with him not wanting to be apart, when they had returned from the war. His divorce had come through soon after and they were married as soon as possible. A small registry office on the edge of town.
As they entered the house, they both immediately headed upstairs. Grace collapsed on the bed and Roland did exactly the same.
"I'm exhausted." She moaned
"You made us stay up for several hours longer than we needed to, sweetheart." He groaned
"Your tea is lovely though." She admitted "So are the biscuits."
"You can have tea and biscuits whenever you want. Just don't make me stay up for several hours longer than necessarily." Roland buried his head in the pillow
"Alright then. I know I shouldn't have but it was fun to see your face." She laughed slightly
"You, Mrs Brett, are annoying, but I wouldn't change you for the world."
"That's good, because I'm not going anywhere." She smiled
"I'm glad. If you left me. I wouldn't know what to do with myself." He said sincerely
"I'm not going anywhere, Roland." She took his hand and kissed his palm
He pulled her into his arms and held her like she was going to disappear.
"You do I love you beyond measure." He told her
"Well were you ever going to tell me or would you have kept it quiet forever?" she asked
"The opportunity did come around, quite by chance."
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