Yorkshire Lady

Yorkshire Lady Part 18

Part 18

Before going home with his shopping, John had one last errand to make. He pulled up outside his childhood home, although he found it hard to call a place he's been so miserable 'home'.

Esther let him in with her usual reluctance. 'Your Dad's not here'. She told him shortly.

'He's not my Dad though. Is he?' John stated firmly. 'Oh, so Madam told you did she ?'

Esther dripped with sarcasm.

'Her name's Caroline and no she didn't'. John keeping a check on his resentment with some difficulty, told Esther about Greg's second visit to Sparthwaite and his illuminating talk with Bob just now.

He sighed. ' Bygones be bygones though'. However badly you did it, you and Ralph did bring me up. I want to tell you that if you want to visit Sparthwaite the door's always open to you both. Not Greg though. That's definite'.

'Are you and.......Caroline....' Esther said the name as though it tasted nasty ' going to get married ?'

John nodded. 'We are, but it'll need to be at least 2 years before we can. She's technically married.....to Andy Lawton. She made a mistake in marrying him' he explained. 'He made her miserable for 7 years, though he gave her 2 lovely sons. Then she and I met and we fell in love. He wants to end the marriage as much as she does'.

He could see that Esther was still not convinced. She shook her head. 'You seem to have a very different sense of right and wrong to mine..........'. John looked incredulous. 'Mine ? What about Greg's ? At least I'm not a violent criminal'.

'He's my flesh and blood. That's the difference'. Esther remarked. ' He's my son's child, not .......'. She was unable to say the words.

'Go and live your life John. I don't think we have any more to say to each other'. She turned her back and closed the living room door on him.

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John sat in his car for a moment. He didn't know what to feel. Was he relieved that he didn't have to be in Ralph and Esther's company any longer or was he mourning the loss of the only family he'd had as a child.

He smiled to himself at the thought of the family he had now and drove back towards Caroline.

He found her in the kitchen, she was baking for a welcome home tea for the boys. The kitchen smelled wonderful and her smile as she looked up to see him was pure sunshine.

'It's true'. He told her sitting down at the table beside her. He explained about his episode with Esther. 'I don't know what to think.' He said helplessly. ' Can I really be happy and sad about it all at the same time ?'

Caroline took his hand. Off course you can be. Feelings don't have anything to do with logic. They don't always make sense. You need to work through all these feelings, not fight them. You can always talk to me about them you know that.'

She slid an arm around him, as far as she was able. ' Esther, Ralph and Greg only have each other and I pity them that. I really do.

You have me, the boys, and a whole crowd of friends who love you and know you love us'.

She got up to take some biscuit dough from the fridge. John's eyes followed her and when she began to roll it out on the table he got up and stood behind her. He moulded his body against hers and moving aside her workday plait of hair began to slowly kiss the back of her neck.

He used his tongue as well as his lips knowing it would turn her to jelly, quiet moans told him he was succeeding.

'Think of this as an IOU for later, he whispered into her ear. I really ought to get back to work.'