My Daughter, Audrey [ON HOLD]

The Honeymoon

Peter and Jennie had a delightful time.   They rented a cabin that didn’t cost them much, as it hadn’t been maintained in years and was the perfect hiding place for rats and creepy crawlies, but Jennie didn’t mind as long as the critters didn’t get into the bed.

               Peter had packed his father’s camera, which he used to take multiple shots of Jennie in her swimsuit and of them sitting on the cove.   They hardly fished or swam because the lake was murky and there were stories of unpleasant things floating around at the bottom.   The weather wasn’t particularly kind to them, but they enjoyed every rainy moment in each other’s arms by the flickering fireplace.  In the evenings they would take long walks, sometimes without saying a thing to one another and just enjoying the company.  Other nights they would laugh, talk, and have a drink or two too many and end up in passionate embraces underneath the evergreens. 

               By the end of the week, they were both missing Audrey.   This realization came about when Jennie was laying stretched out on the bed and Peter was rocking back and forth with the newspaper opened to no particular section.

               “What do you want to do today?”  Jennie asked, picking at a loose thread in the patched quilt.

               “I’m not sure, I was thinkin’ ‘bout going to that old antique shop, but there’s really nothin’ interestin’ there.”

               “How about we go to that small pub off of the first street?”  Jennie suggested, not very enthusiastic. 

               Peter tossed aside the paper and crawled into the bed.  He laid his head across her lap and caressed her legs in thought.  “Well, we did most of wot we came ‘ere to do.”

               “True.  Perhaps we can go home early?”  Jennie expected Peter to deny it and beg for another week or so, but to her surprise, he was more eager about going home than staying any longer.

               “Splendid!  Yes, we should, aye?  Only if ya don’t mind?”

               Jennie laughed and played with individual strands of his hair.  “Not at all!  In fact, I’d love to leave tonight.   I miss her awfully.”

               “Me too!  Glad ya said somethin’,” Peter exclaimed merrily as he sat up and fetched his newspaper.

               Jennie wrapped her arms around Peter’s shoulders and rested her head on his back while he scrambled for the newspaper.  “Oh, I love you, Peter.”

               “That’s good!  I love ya, too, but I can’t reach me bloody newspaper!”

               “Oh, forget the bloody newspaper!  You’re an impossible man!”  Jennie got off of him and hopped off the bed, she grabbed his newspaper and was about to give it to him before whipping it behind her back.

               A mischievous grin slinked onto her face as she squinted at Peter in playfulness. 

               “Ah, don’t be cheeky!”  Peter said, reaching for the paper.

               “Can’t have it, not until I get a kiss!”

               Peter raised an eyebrow and snatched Jennie by the wrist.  “Yer gonna git more than a kiss, lassie.”

               Jennie squealed and pretended to hate the attention.  “Stop it, Peter! Get lost, you!”  She whacked him with the paper, but was powerless against him.   “Fine, I give up.”

               Peter smiled and kissed the bridge between her eyes.   Silence hummed around them and they fell under love’s ultimate spell.