pretty banner by Panta_rei
Chapter 3
“So, William, Rupert tells me that his—your father was from Crackington. Did you ever visit there as a child?”
”No, we never did get to see Crackington Haven when I was small. Da’ wasn’t much for family vacations….or really ‘family’ anything But I’ve been there on my own—well, with a friend—a few years back. Really is a rather beautiful place.” He added before he realized just what it was he was admitting, “I think how nice it would be to go there for my honeymoon.”
“Do you think it’ll be this ‘friend’ of yours going with you?” Joyce inquired in what was much more a motherly than a sisterly way.
“Rick? No! He’s just an old mate of mine. Went to school together and thought it’d be fun to get away somewhere quiet before we went our separate ways. Nearly drove each other crazy that week. Two blokes cooped up in a cabin for a week? Not the brightest idea I’ve ever had.”
“I couldn’t imagine spending an entire week with another man—especially not somewhere like Crackington. I’d need a woman with me for sure,” Rupert finally contributed to the conversation. “Much too quiet there to be up to only above the board things.”
He said it so primly and without even hint of humor in his tone that it took Joyce a few seconds to catch on to what her husband had just said, “Rupert!” She smacked his arm lightly. “Don’t say things like that.”
“William just said the same thing,” Giles argued.
“He did not,” she disagreed. “He said something very sweet and you said something very crude; there’s a difference.”
“Not really, honey.” Rupert was giving up. “He said he wanted to go there to have shag and I said that was about the only thing worthwhile to do there. Not much of a difference.”
“There is too. He suggested that it would be romantic to go there for his honeymoon and you said the only good thing to do there was have sex. There’s a big difference, Rupert.”
Giles just huffed at her, not giving up his point but not arguing it further either.
William was glad his brother was so happy. It was plain to see that he and Joyce were a perfect match, they fit so well together—even in their bickering. The way he hoped to fit with someone some day.
“Have either of you been to Crackington Haven?” he asked, getting the conversation back on course, “It sounds like you have,” He finished, looking at his brother.
“Oh, yes,” Giles answered, now slightly uncomfortable, “I, uh, I went there once as a young man.” He gave no other explanation.
William was about to press the issue further when he saw the look on Rupert’s face; that look combined with his earlier statements told him maybe he was better off not knowing the exact nature of his older brother’s visit to Crackington Haven and that Joyce was definitely better off not knowing.
“But it all seems fairly pointless now,” William moved on. “I mean, I’ve been all over England—and Wales and Scotland, too, but none of that matters to anyone here. To them, I’ve just been to the Britain, the where doesn’t really matter.
“Guess if I’m going to stay round here I’m going to have to do some traveling so I can be a well rounded person again,” he joked. But it was true; so far he’d talked to several people who, although he’d been all over the United Kingdom really, didn’t seem to think he was well traveled.
“Is there anywhere you suggest Joyce? May I call you Joyce?” She nodded her acceptance and he continued, “Is there anywhere in particular you suggest I see? I’d assume that given your profession that you’ve traveled quite extensively.”
Glad to be involved in the conversation—she’d been too used to her last husband keeping her as his demure little wife—she didn’t even think to push her husband on just why, or when, he’d been to Crackington Haven.
“Well, there’s of course Los Angeles, and that’s not too far of a drive from here. Buffy goes there quite often, in fact—perhaps some time you two could make the trip together. And farther away there’s Chicago and New York, a great place to see in the winter, especially around Christmas time. Those, I would say, are the biggest places.
“Miami’s a fun place as well, and Charleston and Savannah are beautiful if you’re interested in history. I’m sure you’ll get some traveling in sooner or later, do remember that you did just get here. No one expects you to be well traveled.”
“But some day I would like to be,” he told her.
“Well,” Joyce asked, “How long were you planning on staying?”
“I guess I hadn’t really thought about it. I suppose I’ll have to find some place to live and work. You know, the usual.”
“Rupert tells me you were here a few months back, with the intention of moving here?”
William really wished he hadn’t mentioned that fact.
“Yes. I went to Idaho, actually, with my girlfriend. She had wanted to move there for some reason. She, well, she broke up with me a little over a week after we got there.” ‘And that’s when I ‘met’ Buffy,’ he thought.
“It was a short enough time that my flat in London hadn’t sold yet, so I moved back.” ‘And kept calling Buffy even thought it cost loads.’
“Oh, William, that’s just horrible.” Joyce was back to sounding like his mother. “I do hope you know that you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you wish.”
“I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“Nonsense, Buffy lives in the little pool house but it has two bedrooms and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind you staying there. In fact, she should be back any minute, and I’ll have a talk with her about it. That is if you would like to…?”
He had been about to protest, to tell them how he would be capable for finding his own place to live. He didn’t want to be too dependent on them in case they decided they didn’t want him around. But that was when…
“Hey mom, Giles! Sorry I took so long, I couldn’t find the dress I’d set out for tonight.” She was still down the hallway so William couldn’t see her, but he would have recognized her voice anywhere.
Before he could change his mind and just before Buffy came into the room, William answered Joyce’s question. “I would love to live here, thank you.”
TBC....Please review
Author's Note: Since you all have been so, so wonderful with the review (I still can't believe how many I've gotten so far) I've gotten my lovely beta Panta_rei to agree to update for me while I"m out of town. So now you only have to wait til the 18th not the 28th for the next update :-) Hope that was a wise decision
also, thank you to whoever nominated Learning Curve (and me for best author) at the Lost in Spike Awards--that just made my night, so thank you to whoever it was.
A huge thank you to: jadedmidnight, Brat, Jessica , klylu, Daisy, daisy, McChick , sirc, jenny, caatje, SarahandJamesFanatic, DK ,gypsy_jin , Devin , Nemo, DaniD, gotkona, Stephanie, dragontiff , Jessica, Kar, luxferi, Heidi, Spikeshunny, Manda, missy, jeanie, Elena, Taylormaid, sarah g, wyn, Renee', Whitelighter354, cordykitten, willowmouse, v06, Tuesday, Karbear57, ChrissNicole, spikeshunny, Rachael , Debbie, DaniD , Emma, Irishwoman39, Irishwoman39, caatje, luxferi , Rachael ,teenuh, marstersgirl13, sirc, braat44, cordykitten, PhotographyNut , Bob, Nikilicious, jen, Dirktavian, SarahandJamesFanatic, sarah ,ChrissNicole, Noelle, blondiebear, Jess, Devin, LMBossy, and willowmouse for reviewing the first few chapters (and yes, some people's names are there twice but they reviewed twice so that's what I thought would be fair.
And I think that's all...please do review :)