Reforming Bill

Chapter Two

 Chapter Two

Bill was feeling slightly nervous on Saturday morning. Not only was he looking forward to seeing Lila again, he was also worried about what she might do in front of his friends. Clearly she enjoyed flouting convention, he just hoped that she would tone it down today. So it's fair to say that his nerves were already a little frayed when when a motorcycle with an empty sidecar tore into his driveway, spraying gravel in it's wake.

“Turn that thing off!” he shouted over the din it was making as he came out of the house. The driver waved as though he knew Bill, then duly turned the engine off as requested. Bill was somewhat stunned when the black leather clad motorcyclist took his goggles and hat off and was revealed to be none other than Lila!

She secured the bike then got off as Bill made his way over to her.

“Lila! I thought we agreed that you were going to wear a skirt?” he said, though he had to admit that the black leather did look good on her.

“And I thought we agreed that you weren't going to tell me what to wear any more,” she said, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

Bill considered arguing with her but he was certain that if he did, she would ride off and he'd be forced to pull out of the tournament or worse still, turn up alone. He decided that at the moment he needed her.

“You're right, of course. I'm sorry.” He took hold of her shoulders and kissed her cheek.

When he pulled away, Lila was smiling once again.

“Good.” she leaned over the bike and removed a large tote bag from the sidecar. “Now, where can I change?” she asked.

Bill showed her to her bedroom and left her alone, praying that she had bought something acceptable with her. She emerged forty five later in a very pretty white tennis dress, a cream cardigan and white plimsolls. Even her plat was secured with a white ribbon. She had also applied a little makeup which highlighted her dark eyes and full lips.

Bill was speechless for a moment; he had known that she was pretty but not this pretty!

“You look lovely,” he said, his admiration clear in his eyes.

“Why thank you, kind sir,” she said in a very bad British accent with a curtsy.

Bill laughed.

“Why don't you dress like this in the pub?”

“The patrons can get a little handsy once they've imbibed enough drink,” she said. “I find it's best to blend into the background.”

“I can't believe you could ever do that,” he said. “Shall we have a drink before we go?”

Lila checked the mantlepiece clock over his shoulder.

“Hadn't we better be going?”

“You don't want to make an entrance?” he sounded surprised.

“More than five minutes late is just rude,” she said, slipping her arm through his. “Come on, we'll drive slowly.”

The match was being held in the grounds of Lady Winders house which oddly enough was the late Mrs Bickleigh's former home. Edmund Bickleigh had inherited the house (since he was found not guilty of her murder) but sold it to pay the legal fees for his second trial. Lady Winders, keen to make a good impression on her new neighbours, had since offered the use of her home for many villages functions.

Both she and her husband were gentry and both too old to get up to anything truly scandalous, though Lady Winders did share a love of gossip, which is why she hosted a weekly coffee morning session with like minded ladies. As such the Winders had been welcomed into the community with open arms.