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The Big Limousine Disappeared!

By: Denham_Forrest



This story is paired with my story "The Climbing Tree!" For the greater part of the text they are the same story, however the two tales have different outcomes. For the convenience of the reader I have clearly marked the point of divergence, where the individual stories go their separate ways. If the "The Climbing Tree!" is fresh in the reader's mind, they may prefer to scroll through to page five and only read the latter part of the text.

My sincere thanks go to Grisbuff and Davnel for their assistance in preparing these two little yarns for posting. It is not a particularly simple task for native speakers of American English to cope with my strictly colloquial British interpretation of the language.

Some clarifications that might assist the reader: Trick-cyclist = a psychiatrist; Oppo/s = a colleague or friend. The Kray twins (Ronnie and Reggie (RIP)) were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 60s. "Costa del Crime" an area of southern Spain that some British criminals are reputed to run-off to, when things get a little "too-hot" for them in the UK

*

Along with Sally and maybe a couple of hundred other people, I stood the instant the first bars of the wedding march thundered out of the church's organ. For reasons of my own, I tried not to, but I could not stop myself turning my head and trying to snatch my first glimpse of the bride as she paraded down the aisle on her stepfather's arm.

Actually that's not exactly true, it's a misnomer; I wonder just why people say aisle? In fact Alice had been escorted by her stepfather down the nave of the church, as most other brides are.

Whatever, I did kind-of get a glimpse or two of her between the other guests' heads. Not that I could make out Alice's face, because it was shrouded by the traditional veil. But I did note that Alice's head nodded just slightly a few times; evidently as she acknowledged several different people in the congregation. But I somehow doubted that any of those little nods were directed at me.

Being that we were somewhere near the back of the church, in a matter of seconds Alice's entourage had passed. I kind-a wondered who had organized the seating plan in the church. At first it struck me as a little odd that Alice would have her old friend Sally sitting so near the back. But on second thought if Alice had been aware in advance that I was going to be accompanying Sally... Well that would have kind-a made sense, in a way. Thoughts briefly passed through my mind about what the seating plan at the reception was going to look like.... And I also began to wonder if my presence would bring any unfortunate repercussions to the receiving line at that venue.

While these thoughts were passing through my head I was watching from behind as Alice's stepfather led her down the nave and handed her over to the beaming Roger Vine, awaiting her before the alter.

Then there was the usual short hiatus in the proceedings during which the vicar and those who are to actually participate in the service exchanged a few hushed words. That was the instant that I realized that it really had not been a good idea for me to come that day, and that I really should not have agreed to accompany Sally. But for some reason I wasn't blaming Sally; I found myself cursing the invention of the telephone.

================

It had started at some unearthly hour the previous Sunday morning. I was comfortably tucked up in bed when the damned telephone's insistent ringing roused me. .

Forcing myself to half-consciousness, I struggled to focus on my bedside alarm and saw that it was three o'clock in the morning.

Scrabbling around I grabbed the ruddy phone and with more than a little difficulty located the answer button; then -- after pushing the thing -- I demanded, "Yes!" into the mouthpiece.

"Hi handsome, did I wake you? Sorry, please don't sound grumpy at me?"

Very suddenly I was wide-awake, very wide-awake. The voice was that of Sally Parsons, a long time friend whom had, not a year before, lost her young husband (and my good friend) while he was on active service for HMG. He was one of the many who... well where and why he died is really of little importance here. What is important is the fact that following his demise I'd promised Sally that I'd "be there" for her, wherever and whenever she needed me.

"What's up kiddo, are you alright?" I asked as gently as I could manage.

"Yeah, sorry Jeff, I'm fine. Just a little tipsy that's all."

"You're not drunk are you Sally? Where are you?"

"No Jeff, just a little tipsy. Alice had her Hen Night this evening, and I went along..."

"Sally, I thought we'd agreed that you were going to give Alice's nuptials a miss!"

"We did Jeff... but..."

"But what, Sally?" 

"Alice... well she's my friend... and your friend too..."

"At one time, Sally; when we were kids. But Alice is a big girl now, and she forgot all about you and me a very long time ago. Anyway, we discussed this the other week, and we both agreed that you attending her wedding, wasn't a good idea under the circumstances. Christ Sally, even your mum agreed with me on that one, and that's a first... one for the record books!"

"But Alice asked me to go along this evening... and I just couldn't find it in my heart to refuse. You know that we were best mates when we were at school together. How could I refuse to go with her on her Hen Night? It was good fun actually, I didn't find it upsetting at all."

"Well, providing that it's only her Hen Night, Sally."

Ah well... you see, Jeff... Um, that's why I'm calling you so late really. We had a great time this evening and I... er sort-of agreed to..."

"Jesus Sal, you haven't said you'd be her maid of honour, have you? I thought we'd agreed on that at least."

"No, no, Jeff I'm not that dumb. I really think standing that close to that alter would... well, the memories..."

"Well that's alright then; but I still think you'd have been better served, not to go at all."

"I know, I know; you made that pretty plain the other week when you were up here. But Jeff, I need to ask a big favour of you..."

"My answer is no, Sally; before you even ask."

"Oh come on, please, Jeff, I need you there! And you did promise that you'd be here for me whenever I needed you. Well, I really do think I'm going to need you here next weekend."

"Sally, you know..."

"Yes, I know, Jeff, and I do understand. I know I'm asking a really big favour of you, but I need someone... you, beside me at the ceremony next weekend."

"Dammit Sally, you're asking too much really! But I did promise you at Bill's graveside. So... under protest and against my better judgement... I'll be there. But you must realize that I have my own crosses to bear. I doubt that I'll be the happiest person in the world."

"Jeff Turner, you are the best friend a girl could have in the whole wide world, I could kiss you."

"Promises, promises, Sal. I'll call you when I get up to town on Friday evening, but God alone knows what time that will be. But hold on a minute, I haven't got an invite; you know that I'm the last person in the world that the George Arnold would invite to his stepdaughter's wedding."

"No worries there, Jeff. My invite says Sally Parsons and companion."

"A little... careless of him, wasn't it?" 

"Possibly, but his Royal Highness knows that you sold your parent's house and that you didn't come back here to live after Uni. I suspect he's forgotten you ever existed. There's no way that he or Alice's mother knows that you've been such a rock for me. Besides I should imagine that Alice sent the invites anyway. Call me when you get in on Friday evening, goodnight Jeff."

"Good morning more like, Sally. How much did you have to drink toni... last night, anyway?

"We're still at it Jeff. Well, some of us are. Alice, kind-a keeled-over about an hour or so ago, so we dropped her off at the Vicarage. Then some of the girls came on over here and we're attacking my mum's cocktail cabinet, what there is left of it. Since then, I've been trying to work up the courage to call you."

"Sally, you know I think that you're are being very silly about this. And somewhat stubborn; but that's no surprise."

"Jeff, you know I think the poor girl was trying to drown her sorrows this evening."

"What girl?"

"Alice of course: I'd have thought that was obvious."

"As obvious as it is that you've drunk far more this evening than you should have, young lady. Alice is getting married next weekend; I'll bet she's like a cat with two tails. And you are going to wake-up with one hell of a hangover tomorrow, by the sound of it."

"Not as bad as the one Alice is going to wake-up with, Jeff; of that I'm bloody sure. Anyway I'd better go. Night, night lover."

"In my dreams gorgeous; in my dreams!" I replied just before the line went dead.

================

A little background would probably help the reader at this point.

Sally was... well, a year my junior, we'd grown up together; Sally had been my neighbour from across the street as far back as I could ever remember. As had her deceased husband Bill Parsons. But Bill didn't live across the street; he lived in the house next door to mine, on the north side of my parents place. Bill and I had been best buddies -- as some folks call it -- since the year dot.

As we had all grown-up together, it had become patently obvious, remarkably early on, that Sally and Bill were one day going to end up man and wife. As they eventually did when Sally was only seventeen years old. Bill, like myself, was just one year older. They'd got married just a few months after Bill joined the army.

I had never been able to understand why; but Bill appeared only ever to have had two goals in his life. Firstly to marry Sally! And the secondly, to follow his father into the army. In his short life Bill did manage to achieve both those goals though.

But Bill -- I'm sure -- had always believed that he'd return wearing his gallantry medals; unlike his father, whose medals were displayed on a little shrine in the family home. 

Alice came into the picture when Bill and I were about ten years old. His Royal Highness George Arnold had always lived at the vicarage, -- the house on the south side of my parents house -- well, the Arnolds had lived there as long as I could remember anyway.

No, he wasn't a vicar; the gigantic Victorian pile had been sold-off by the church many years before, because the up-keep on the place was so expensive; or so I've been led to believe.

Somewhere along the line George Arnold and his first wife had bought it, and spent a load of dough on the place bringing it into the twentieth century.

The first Mrs Arnold -- unlike her husband -- was a very nice person. I can just about recall her, along with Sally's, Bill's and my own mother, taking all of us tykes to the park together when we were small. She did have two children of her own, Reginald (who was roughly a year older than Bill and I) and Susan (who was our age). But for some reason those two never quite gelled (or fitted in well) with the likes of Bill, Sally and me, when we all played together. As tots we never realized it; but as we grew older we kind-a got the idea that the two Arnold children thought we were beneath them socially. 

But then -- when Bill and I were about nine or ten years old -- the first Mrs. Arnold suddenly vanished into thin air, and a short while after Alice's mother replaced her in the Arnold household, bringing Alice and her younger sister Emma along with her.

Exactly what happened in that household back then, and why; has always been shrouded in mystery. Well, no one much talked about it while us kids were around it anyway. Not that us kids were even worried really, I don't think. People just appeared and disappeared as far as we were concerned back then.

Although we probably missed the ice-cream and sweets that the first Mrs. Arnold used to buy us all the time. Er, us kids had liked the First Mrs. Arnold, as you might guess.

But amongst the adults locally -- who only discussed such things when they thought that children weren't listening, couldn't hear them or wouldn't understand anyway -- the consensus of opinion appeared to be, that the first Mrs. Arnold had discovered that said George Arnold had been making whoopee with his secretary. The inference being that certain locals at least, had been well aware of, or at least suspected, that the illicit liaison had been going on for sometime.

Those same rumours purported that at approximately the same time as the first Mrs. Arnold heard rumours of the affair, said secretary's husband also discovered that an illicit liaison had been taking place. Thinking about it now, one most probably led to the other, if you get my drift.

It was further rumoured that a certain trip aboard -- that one George Arnold had taken around that same time -- had in fact been a short stay in hospital while he recovered from a little contretemps he'd had with said secretary's husband.

Shortly after that, the first Mrs. Arnold vanished, and Alice and Emma's mother, moved into the vicarage, eventually to become The Second Mrs. Arnold. It was inferred or rumoured in certain circles, that Alice and Emma's mother had been the notorious secretary referred to earlier.

Yeah well, the adults were trying to ensure that us youngsters did not know the facts. But we youngsters kind-a put it all together between us, from little bits and pieces that each of us overheard at different times.

We also gathered that rumour claimed that in the ensuing court cases, George Arnold's somewhat excessive wealth (or ill-gotten gains as my mother always referred to them) had helped to ensure that he and Alice's mother had carried the day and they had been awarded custody of all of the children.

However that last bit of scandal mongering turned out to be wrong, at least in part.

As youngsters, we didn't understand anything about child custody battles, or the court cases that usually accompanied them. All we knew was that when parents did separate, the children usually lived with one or the other parent; most often -- in our experience -- the parent who did not leave the marital home in the first place. Who decreed which parent the children lived with, or why, we had no inkling; and as it didn't concern us directly, we probably didn't care.

Anyway Alice and Emily (almost universally known as Emma) turned out to be a whole different ballgame from Reggie and Susan Arnold; and their own mother, come to that! 

Alice's mother proved to be more than a little like George Arnold; from the start she had delusions of grandeur, living in that big house. Adult rumour once again, but the consensus was that the pair of them thought that George's money made them something special. Instinctively it seemed, most of the adults around our way had come to refer to George Arnold as HRH behind his back. That same title had very quickly been bestowed upon the Second Mrs. Arnold.

They were both obviously unaware that their... um, well, that many of the locals were not impressed by their lack of respect for the marriage vows they'd both surely taken some years before. You get where I'm going here, I'm sure. Most folks around our way were a little on the conservative side; well, they claimed to be.

Even my old-man -- god rest his soul -- who was a card carrying atheist, termed George Arnold "A cheating bas... louse!" -- and Alice's mother a "Stuck-up little tart!" A somewhat confusing description for a youngster to understand, the woman was unusually tall, compared to most of the other mothers I was familiar with. Not that I can claim that I ever was familiar with the Second Mrs. Arnold, by the way. I do not believe that she ever once said two words to me personally.

Whatever, the Arnold's had delusions of grandeur and as the years went by, we youngsters discovered that Reggie and Sue had been cut from the same bolt of cloth.

But like I said, Alice and Emma were not cut from that bolt. They were very quick to join in and play with Sally, Bill, myself and all the other children who lived locally. They couldn't very well play with Reggie and Susan very much because... well because George Arnold's children weren't best pleased that two more youngsters had joined their household. Or so I sort-of realized as I got older. Mind you, that realisation probably once again stemmed from overhearing my parents talking.

To be completely honest with you, Reg and Sue could be really mean to their new half-siblings when they felt like it. On several occasions I'm aware that they reduced both the girls to tears... and if not for circumstance, things might possibly have been even worse.

However, cunning pair of little shits they were, I don't think Reg and Susan ever behaved as badly towards Alice and Emma when either parent was about.

Don't get me wrong Reggie and Susan were not overtly hostile towards Alice and Emma, well not all of the time, anyway. I suppose the best way describe what I mean is to tell you about the first time Sally, Bill and myself ever met the two girls.

It was at the latter end of that summer's school holidays. Along with a few other friends, Bill, Sally and I were playing on the swings in the park down the road. When suddenly -- over in the little copse -- we heard a young child crying out in anguish. On hearing her screams, Bill and I immediately set off at a run to investigate, followed by Sally and the better part of the other children.

As Bill and I arrived at the edge of the copse, we met Reggie and Susan leaving it.

"What's going on?" Bill demanded.

I'll be honest, there never had been any love lost between Bill and Reg Arnold... or Reg and myself, come to that!

"The silly little bitch is stuck up the tree!" Reggie replied, "She got herself up there, she can get herself down again!"

Then the two of them walked off towards the swings in the child play area.

Bill and I looked at each for a second and then -- because the anguished wailing was still emanating from the centre of the copse -- we dashed on in.

In amongst the trees we found Alice precariously perched some way up the climbing tree, hanging onto a branch with one arm, and the seven or eight-year-old -- wailing -- Emma with her other.

Bill and I had no idea who the two girls were; none of us ever clapped eyes on them before. However there was no way that we could leave them in the predicament they were in, that was for sure.

Bill and I didn't even stop to think or discuss it. Both of us knew that climbing tree off by heart. We shimmied up it in a couple of seconds, and then with the aid of later arrivals passed the still traumatized and weeping Emma hand to hand down to the ground.

Although we helped Alice clime down the tree, I'm pretty sure -- from seeing her later antics up the same tree -- that she hadn't required any assistance herself.

Very quickly we learnt who Alice and Emma were and that Susan and Reggie had brought their new half-siblings to the park to show them around. Then Reg and Susan had climbed the tree themselves before enticing the new arrivals to join them.

However, when little Emma had become stuck and then frightened, Reg and Susan had climbed down and left Alice holding the baby, so to speak.

"That was a pretty shitty thing to do!" Bill had ranted at Reggie when we discovered him and his sister innocently playing on the swings.

"She's only a little kid, she could have fallen and got hurt!" I added, probably to show that I was pretty disgusted with their behaviour as well.

"Silly little bitch, shouldn't have got up there if she couldn't climb down again!" Susan had retorted.

"Reggie's old enough to know better!" I quickly dragged out of my mother's arsenal. Then for some reason I added. "You need your arse-kicked for you, mate!" to Reggie.


The Big Limousine Disappeared!



In an instant, Reg was off the swing and in my face.

"Oh yeah, and who's going to kick it for me... you?" He demanded holding his clenched fist under my nose.

Bigger than me he might be, but Reggie had made a big mistake! My dad had always told me that, "When push comes to shove..." especially with someone bigger than you, as Reggie was by several inches and at least a year... "You make sure that you do the pushing lad!" i.e. get in first and make the bugger count!

Reggie ran home with a bloody nose that day, and never again did he call me out. His brat of a sister went with him.

Alice and Emma stayed with us in the park for a while. Emma recovering her composure and Alice getting to know all the local children, before they thought it prudent to return to the Vicarage themselves.

Theoretically that should have been the end of the incident, but of course it wasn't. That day was the beginning of a strange war that was to rage between my own family and the Arnolds, until my parents passed away. That is George Arnold, his two children and the Second Mrs. Arnold -- oh, did my mum have fun referring to her by that name whenever and wherever she needed to; even to her face! 

Anyway George Arnold was round our house as soon as he got home from work that day, demanding that I be punished for bloodying his son's nose. 

Having already heard the story of little Emma being stuck up the climbing tree and that Reggie and Susan had walked off and left her there; my father enquired of me whether Reggie had raised his hand in anger to me first. Bill, Sally and a couple of the other local children present, assured my dad that he had. So my old man turned around and informed George Arnold that his son, "Was a little shit! Who had only received what he asked for!"

From that day forth I was persona non grata with the Arnold's, even if I wasn't with Emma and Alice. To the two girls, I was... well both Bill and I were I think, tantamount to Knights in shining armour.

Of course Alice and Emma were forbidden to play, or even associate with Bill and I. But that wasn't really a very practical ruling, because whenever they went to the park and latterly to school... well, Bill and I were around.

Reggie and Susan though did steer well clear of Bill and me whenever they could manage it. Again they found it impossible in school and that was to lead to a few verbal confrontations between Reggie and I, over the years. However for some inexplicable reason, those... contretemps... always occurred when there were plenty of teachers around who could ensure that those shouting matches didn't escalate -- or degenerate -- into fisticuffs.

At the junior school Alice very soon teamed up with Sally. Bill and I had moved to the secondary school by then, where we ran into Reggie and Susan quite often.

To be perfectly honest I didn't see too much of Alice all that first winter, but as I've just said during that time -- at the junior school -- Alice became firm friends with Sally. 

It was in the early spring of the following year that Alice and I became firm friends, when she fell into the river from the footbridge in the park.

To be honest with you, it wasn't really a river, it was a fairly large lake that had had a stone bridge constructed over it part of it, to simulate a bridge over a river. Possibly some ornamental landscaping left over from the large mansion that had once stood nearby somewhere.

To this day I do not know how Alice came to fall into the water, or if Reg (or Susan) had anything to do with it. But the pair of them, were on the bank that day; I saw them.

Once again it was young Emma's screams that attracted Bill and my attention. However, this time it was all down to me, because at that time Bill could not swim. And, I might add, it was obvious that neither could Alice.

By the way, Bill had something wrong with his ears, as a young child and he couldn't swim because his physicians forbade him to ever risk getting his head under water. Bill had a series of operations during his teenage years and only then did he learn to swim.

Kicking off my shoes, I dove straight into the river and swam out to the middle where Alice was floundering about. Dodging the panicking Alice's flailing hands as best I could, I grabbed hold of her by the plaits and towed her -- arms still flailing -- to the shallows, where Sally and Bill --- up to their waists in the cold water -- took her from me.

A police officer who had appeared out of nowhere, then hauled all three of us up onto the bank. We were then shipped off to the hospital post-haste where we were treated for hypothermia. Not that I really think anyone, but Alice, was really that cold.

The Arnolds never did thank me. George Arnold didn't even acknowledge that I'd saved his stepdaughters life when the local newspaper interviewed him about the incident. All he did do, was complain that the footbridge's parapet was not high enough. However no one else has ever fallen from that bridge to my knowledge, and the council did not raise the parapet.

I was of course fêted in the local weekly rag, which printed a picture of me, and declared that I was a local hero; it must have been a lean news week.

Whatever the notoriety that came from that, had fall-out at my school where I was publicly praised in a school assembly by the headmaster. And it also probably lead to my being selected as a prefect a couple of years later. I was never really one of the goody-two-shoes type who were usually on the receiving end of that sort of dubious honour, if you understand me.

On the Saturday morning of the weekend following the river incident, there was a knock at my parents' front door, and shortly after my mother showed Alice and Emma into our dining room where I was doing my homework. 

Alice thanked me for saving her life and then sat there staring at me. Emma just sat there hanging onto her big sisters hand.

To be honest I was embarrassed, I weren't no hero! I'd just done what I thought I had to do. There was a pretty awkward silence for a while there, until my mother came in and served up ice cream all round. Once that had been consumed the two girls sat there in silence and watched while I completed my homework; somewhat to my embarrassment.

Look, I was eleven years old, I had no idea what hero worship even was; let alone how to handle it. But for the next few years I could do no wrong in either Alice or Emma's eyes. To me they were just a couple of the other local kids; to Alice and Emma it appeared that I had suddenly become guardian angel number one. But I really didn't understand that on that Saturday morning.

"What are you going to do now?" Alice had asked when I finally put my schoolbooks away.

"Go find Bill and Sal!" I'd replied.

"Can we come?"

Yeah well that was it, after that -- nearly every weekend -- Bill and my little gang had grown by at least one member, Alice. Often two, because if Emma was wasn't playing with friends her own age from school, then she'd tag along with her big sister. Never, so I think, did she ever hang around with Reg and Susan.

I say nearly every weekend, because -- since just after Alice and Emma had joined the Arnold household -- every forth Saturday or so, a car would drive in and out of the Vicarage's drive very early in the morning and Alice and Emma would vanish for the day. Sometimes that car would not return them until late on the Sunday evening.

It didn't take a genius to work out that their father was picking two girls up for the weekend when that car did show-up. Shortly after its first appearance, that car had become another clandestine (as far as us children were concerned) subject of discussion amongst our parents. Something else us children were not supposed to know about.

But for some reason, it was something that was not discussed amongst us children as well. Not even Alice and Emma would intentionally mention their father in normal conversation. Although, sometimes young Emma would refer to him in passing.

Anyway about a month after the river incident, one Saturday Bill, Sally, a couple of other children and myself were sitting in the climbing tree. I have no idea what we were doing up there that day or even what we were talking about. Sitting in the top of that tree just because we could get up there, was one of the things we did back then. Alice and Emma weren't with us that day because the car had paid a visit to the Vicarage that morning. By the way Emily had become quite a little tree monkey since Bill and I had shown her all the right, safe hand and footholds that would fit a child of her size.

Whatever Bill and Sally -- who were on the highest perch, from where they could see the river -- suddenly announced that Alice and Emma were "On the bridge with a man!" 

I shimmied up to join them in double time; I suppose because I wanted to get a glimpse of the girls' father.

Sure enough Alice and the man who I now know for sure is her father were on the bridge. Young Emma was standing just on our side of the bridge, looking right back at me.

Then I saw her point to the tree, while turning and saying something to her father and Alice. Their father stared at me -- or the tree anyway -- for a while and then all three of them set off in our direction.

"What'd you going to do, Jeff?" Bill asked.

I looked back at him wondering what the hell he was asking me that for, but Bill went on.

"He's coming over to see you, probably to thank you for saving Alice's life the other week."

My friends were aware that I found my sudden celebrity a little embarrassing.

I quickly started down the tree, I think possibly with the intention of making myself scarce. But I wasn't quick enough and I arrived at ground level at the same instant that Alice and Emma led their father into the clearing at the base of the climbing tree.

"Jeff, this is our dad. He wants to speak to you!" Alice said, by way of introduction.

Then she and Emma -- much to her father's obvious consternation -- disappeared up said climbing tree like rabbits down a hole.

"Be careful girls." Their father called after them, a somewhat concerned expression on his face.

"They're fine Mr! Amongst the best tree climbers around here... for girls."

"So I see. They look pretty confident anyway. But familiarity breeds contempt young man; haven't you ever heard that expression before?"

"Yes sir, but Bill and I test all the hand holds before we allow the little ones... or the girls to go up there. That tree behind you, that looks pretty easy to climb, but it's rotten. That's what we painted the red cross on it for. No one tries to climb that."

At that moment there was a thump behind me; so I knew that my back-up -- in the form of Bill -- had arrived at ground level.

"Ah you must be Billy... William is it? The young man who got Emma out of this same tree I suspect... My god no higher girls!"

The girls father had looked up and... well looking back now I suspect he almost shi... Yeah well.

Anyway both his daughters replied "Okay dad!" Stopped climbing and settled themselves onto a large branch.

"I want both of you to promise me that you will never climb up there if Jeffrey and William here aren't here with you. I'm sure your mother would have a heart attack if she saw you up there. Does she know you go up there?"

"Reg and Susan climb up here all the time, when Billy and Jeff aren't here." Emma replied.

Emma habitually called Bill, Billy by the way. I have no explanation why no else ever did, with the exception of his mother.

"What those two do is their father's business, not mine! I want your solemn promise that you will never climb that tree if Jeffrey and William aren't here with you."

I kind-a figured that was an odd thing for him to say really. But it sort-of inferred that the girls' father trusted Billy and me would ensure that they came to no harm.

"We promise dad." Alice replied.

Then their father's gaze fell on me again. "Jeffrey may I speak to you in private, please?" 

"Sure Mr..."

"Porter. But call me Frank, please Jeffrey; I think you and your friend here have earned the right to do that.

"Er sure... Frank... What can I do for you?" I asked.

"In private, please?"

"Yeah sure, no sweat!" I replied, then he let me lead the way to the edge of the copse. Bill remained by the base of the climbing tree, but he was within shouting range, if you get my drift.

Once out of all the other children's earshot, the girls' father thanked me for saving Alice from drowning. He somewhat overdid the praise part and I was more than a little embarrassed by it.

Looking back after all these years I have to suspect Frank Porter knew that I would be embarrassed and that's why we'd moved to where the other children couldn't overhear him.

Anyway somehow then Frank moved the conversation on to enquiring about -- as Frank put it -- my obvious proficiency at swimming.

I explained to him that before my uncle -- who'd been a lifeguard at the Country Club swimming pool just up the road -- had died in a car accident I'd been in the habit of swimming there several days every week, throughout the year.

"You said 'used to,' Jeff?"

"Yeah, my uncle could get me in for free. My mum and dad can't afford to join that place."

"So where do you swim now?"

"Just, in the sea, on our summer holidays. The council pool is right over the other side of the borough. Cost's an arm and a leg just to get there. My dad takes me there sometimes, when he can. Besides Bill's not allowed to swim because of his ears, and there's no one else much I'd like to go with. It's too crowded there anyway!"

"Jeffrey, I've been very lax. Alice's mother doesn't swim and consequently... Well, she was never enthusiastic for Alice and Emma to learn how-to. I realize that I should have pushed the point... but, oh well, you'll probably understand when you are older.

"Anyway after our scare with Alice last week. We... and both Alice and Emma have decided that it would be prudent for them to learn how to stay afloat, if nothing else."

"My dad says that all children should learn how to swim!" I said, trying to sound grown-up I think. Alice's father appeared to be talking to me as if I was an adult.

"And your father's right, they should. It was I who was remiss, Jeffrey. But Alice and Emma need someone who they have confidence in, to teach them to swim."

"Oh yeah you have trust your teacher. I was... well. The first time I went swimming it scared the pants off me. But my uncle used to swim in competitions, so he soon had me swimming like a fish, my father says."

"I can believe it Jeffrey, and now I'd like you to pass that skill in the water you have learnt on to Alice and Emma for me, if you will?"

"I don't know if I'd be a very good teacher Mr... Frank. They have classes at the public swimming pool the girls could go to."

"No Jeffrey, both of them want you to teach them how to swim."

"I can't sir, it costs a bomb just to get to the public pool."

"I was thinking more of the Country Club pool, Jeffrey!"

"Jesus that place costs the earth, and your dad has to be a member!"

"I'll sort all that out Jeffrey, don't worry about it. But you have to agree to teach them."

Now I do enjoy swimming, and the Country Club's indoor pool was a pretty swish place to swim. I'm not sure whether I agreed to teach the girls because I was flattered to have been asked, or because I was going to get access to the Club's pool again.

Whatever, my acceptance brought a smile to the man's face and our conversation to an end. We went back to base of the climbing tree and he called for his miscreant daughters -- who during his absence had climbed up much higher to join Sally -- to come down. Then after Frank Porter had said something about speaking to my father, all three of them left.

Bill and Sally were full of questions about what the guy had wanted, so I explained that I was to be Alice and Emma's swimming teacher.

"How much?" Bill instantly asked. Bill had a fixation with money at that time; he sort-of assumed I was going to get paid to teach them. To be honest, the idea hadn't even crossed my mind.

It took me a moment or two to realize what Bill was asking. But when I told them exactly where I was supposedly going to teach the girls to swim, the question was effectively withdrawn. Actually another student was added to the list; Sally asked me if I could sneak her in there for a few lessons while I was at it.

When she did, Bill went kind-of quiet for a while. I've explained that because of his ears Bill was not allowed anywhere where his head might inadvertently go under the water. No at the time I didn't know why, it was one of those facts of life that -- as children -- we had grown to accept. I think Bill was more conscious of the fact he couldn't swim than any of the rest of us children recognised.

When I got home that later day my parents informed me that Mr Porter had paid them a call and cleared the way with them, for me to teach his daughters to swim. My father didn't seem at all surprised that his eleven-year-old son was going to teach two girls to swim.

Neither did either my mother or father mention the fact that I was still persona non grata with the Arnolds. Well not outright anyway, and I began to wonder if Frank Porter was aware of the fact.

It seems that he must have been aware, because it had apparently been arranged that Alice and Emma would meet me outside our house at a specific time and we'd go on to the pool from there. I might add that the old vicarage sat back from the road on it's extensive plot and the front of my house couldn't been seen from the Vicarage itself. Damn it, thinking about it now, I doubt they could even see the road through all the trees and shrubs that shielded the place from the sight of all us plebs.

Monday evening when I arrived home from school, I discovered a brand new bicycle waiting for me in our garage. It seemed that Frank Porter had decided that I had deserved a reward. Whether for agreeing to teach his daughters to swim or for saving Alice that day, I know not. No one ever mentioned it.

There was a certain logic in the new bicycle though. The shortest route to the Country Club was along the main road, with its inherent traffic dangers. On pushbikes the longer route through the park and along the path that ran around the edge of the Country Clubs golf course became a practical alternative.

At the Club itself Alice led the way through the main entrance door. All my previous visits to the place had been sort-of clandestine affairs where I'd entered with my uncle by one of the other entrances. Not that the powers that be at the club and most of the other staff hadn't known I was there. I believe my presence had been ignored as long as none of the members complained.

Somewhat to my consternation, Alice marched right up to the reception desk and announced that she was Miss Alice Porter. But she needn't have bothered the woman was already sorting out some paperwork. She handed Alice and Emma cards that had "Associate Member" printed across the top of them. Them she handed me a similar one that had "Personal Trainer" emblazoned across it. Then she listed off a whole list of do's and don'ts, and can and can't's that were specific to my membership card.

No I didn't listen, I was far too busy reading my own name printed on the card. 

When we got to the pool, I noted a sign warning other members that a private lesson had been booked that day and at what time. And on entering we were greeted by one of my uncle's old colleagues who would be acting as lifeguard for the session. The lifeguard being present when anyone under sixteen was using the pool, was club policy by the way. I have no idea whether Alice's father was aware of that fact, that those same lifeguards also gave swimming and diving lessons.




The Big Limousine Disappeared!



I wont bother going into any further details other than to say that, from that day forth every Tuesday and Thursday evening saw the three of us at the pool. Very strangely I thought, Emily very soon learnt how to swim and rapidly gained confidence. Alice on the other hand, seemed to pick up the floating and swimming side of things pretty quickly, but she definitely lacked confidence. Most of the time Alice insisted that I at least swim beside her whenever she was in the water. Very often, and for no reason that I could see, she'd suddenly start to panic and... well flounder I suppose you'd call it, and I'd have to grab hold of her to reassure her.

After a couple of months, sometimes Sally would come with us, Alice signing her into the Country Club as her guest. And the really odd thing was, that whenever my attention was taken up with Sally... Well, Alice seemed to be swimming around quite happily and never appeared to panic. Much the same thing had happened after the first few weeks when my attention had been on her sister.

Alice's obvious lack of confidence in the water was beginning to worry me, so eventually I sought the advice of the lifeguard.

"Tell me Jeffrey, how old are you now?" he asked.

"Twelve... just about!" I replied.

"And Alice?"

"Well, I'm not sure, she's starting secondary school next month so she must be eleven!" 

"You're both a bit young, but I think I know what Alice's problem is Jeffrey, and eventually I suspect you'll learn that it has nothing to do with being frightened of the water."

"I don't understand."

"You will one day son, you will one day!"

And that was all he said, no real help to me at all. A bit of disappointment in fact!

As time went by, Emma became such a proficient little swimmer, that sometimes she wouldn't come to our lessons. So very often it was just Alice and I; Sally usually only joining us for one session a week. I think two nights a week without seeing her Billy was too much for Sally. As the summer went on we'd taken to walking our bikes home. I'm not sure why, Alice would complain that her legs were too tired to pedal her bike home again, I think.

No, it didn't make much sense to me either, but my dad told me that understanding why a female says or does anything, is a lot harder than most men realize.

"Leads to the end of a lot of very promising relationships does that, my boy! But you'll work that out for yourself one day. In the meantime, I suggest that you don't argue, say yes and let them get on with it. It keeps 'em happy and they'll most likely forget all about whatever it was, in a couple of days!"

That little speech had left me just as much -- if not more -- confused than the one my friend the lifeguard had given me. But I did remember my dad's words and it was to come in handy a few weeks later.

It was autumn by then and the nights were drawing in. Alice and I were walking back home from the Country club almost in the pitch dark. I'm not sure when exactly but by then we'd taken to pushing our bikes with one hand while holding each other's hand with the other; but we had got into the habit of doing so somewhere along the line.

Anyway very suddenly and completely out of the blue Alice asked.

"Jeffrey, when we grow up, are we going to get married?"

For a moment or two I was lost for words. I really wasn't expecting Alice to say anything like that. We were friends... we'd become very good friends. But... well, I had not reached the age where I thought of females that way, if you understand me.

Scratching around for something to say that would not hurt her feelings, I suddenly remembered what my father had said to me. "Don't argue with them son! Say yes, and let them get on with it!" or words to the same general effect.

"Yeah sure we will, if that's what you want, Alice." I replied kind-a hoping that would be the end of it. 

But it wasn't, well not immediately anyway. The next thing I know Alice's bike is crashing to the ground, her arms are around my neck and she's kissing me on the lips.

After getting over the shock, I did my best to return the compliment. But to be honest, I doubt I made a very good job of it. That was the first time -- other than silly party games -- that a girl had kissed me and... Well, let's say that I hadn't even thought about technique at the time.

A few moths later, Sally, without Bill being aware, I'm sure... er, well, she taught me the proper rudiments of successful kissing. Look, Sally might always have been Bill's girl, but she had always been as close to me -- if not closer -- than a sister would have been.

Sometimes there would things that for some reason Sally did not want to discuss with Bill, and at those times she'd turn to me.

Like for instance, Sally's first bleed. Whether through embarrassment or what, I still do not know; but I was delegated the job of explaining to Bill all about the female menstrual cycle.

Which, by the way, I had had no idea about myself, until Sally herself had explained it all to me -- in far too much detail -- just a few a few hours before. But as my father told me, "Don't argue son, say yes and... etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!"

Anyway from that day forth, Alice had become my sort-of unofficial girlfriend. Well not even that is correct, it's probably better phrased that I became Alice's unofficial -- and very secret -- boyfriend!

There was no hand holding in the street where Reg, Susan or any of their mates might see us. Definitely no heavy snogging sessions to start with. As I said, I weren't really into that kind of thing at that time.

Basically I got the odd kiss on the cheek now and again from Alice, and she habitually walked beside me. Putting Billy's nose out of joint, a little. We'd suddenly gone from Bill and I walking side by side with the two -- or sometimes three girls when Emma was with us -- walking together, but with Sally always holding Bill's hand. To Sally and Alice walking in the middle with Bill and me as outriders. Mind you very often I had young Emma hanging onto my other arm or hand.

In truth -- away from the swimming pool -- I probably had more actual physical contact with Emma than I did with Alice.

Well that was the state of play for the next... what three... maybe four years. Of course Alice and my relationship had developed into secretly snatched snogging sessions by then, well the old hormones had started to do their thing, if you understand me.

These sessions happened most often on our walks home from swimming at the Country club when there was no one else much around. The cycles had dropped out of the picture somewhere along the line; I can't say exactly when or why. Young Emma had also disappeared as far as swimming went as well because... well let's just say young Emma was a little forward for her age, if you get my drift. 

Emma had matched her elder sister when it came to the twin plats turning into a ponytail. And in certain other developments that young women go through about that age, so by then she had a little group of hopefuls following her around most of the time. But I must say that only a couple of times were Bill and I forced to get... serious with any of them. It was clearly apparent that little Emma knew exactly how to handle members of the opposite sex. It was also clear that neither she nor Alice took their troubles to their elder half-brother or sister.

But then, -- during the late summer of my fifteenth year -- my nice little settled world suddenly collapsed around me when both Alice and Emma were shipped off to boarding school. I have to admit to you, that I really did not realize how serious my feelings for Alice had become, until she was no longer there.

How or why the sudden change in their educational arrangements came about, I do not know for sure. By bad luck Sally's a parents and mine, -- who always had been great friends -- had arranged to go on holiday together again that year. Something they'd done many times in the past. Billy and his widowed mother -- as usual -- came along with my family, also something that had happened since the year dot as well. Bill's father had died before he was born and larger parties led to smaller charges or group discounts.

But when we returned home three weeks later we found that all of the children in the Arnold household had been sent away to boarding school.

I did find one short letter from Alice that had been stuffed through the letterbox of our house; no more than a brief note really. Roughly explaining that she and Emma were being sent to a boarding school somewhere, to complete their education. Alice also said that she'd write and give me the address as soon as she could.

Sally and I instantly sallied forth enquiring of friends and schoolmates trying to discover more information. Rumours were rife, but solid information was scarce.

From rumour I... we, Sally and I, deduced that Susan Arnold had managed to get herself caught in a compromising situation with a young man. Actually -- rumour once again -- but reputedly one of Reg's best mates.

Why that had led to all of the children being shipped off to a boarding school, I had no idea. Although later, Sally always said that possibly Susan had made some accusations about what Alice and Emma got up to on the quiet. You know what I mean, muddying the waters as much as she could, in an attempt to spread her father's anger about a little.

By that time I'm sure that both Susan and Reggie had worked-out that Alice and I were an item. Jesus everyone in the damned school knew that. And as Sally put it, referring to their stepfather, "Talk about waving a red rag in front of a bull, anyone mentioning you in the same breath as Alice is likely to give the old sod a heart attack!"

But excepting for that note Alice had left me, no other communication ever materialized from her.

Of course I -- nor Sally -- left it there. In the first few weeks of that school term we found a couple of Emma's friends who were in postal communication with her. One had actually spoken to Emma on the telephone just a few days before. But the impression we got from what girl said that... well I'm not sure how to phrase it... Roughly she said that it sounded like Emma was choosing her words very carefully. As the girl put it "Like Emma was talking to a boyfriend she wasn't supposed to have, while her mother was listening!"

Whatever we did get the school's name and address from Emma's friends, so both Sally and I immediately wrote to Alice asking her what was going on. But four weeks later neither of us had received replies.

In the mean time, knowing what school they were at, had allowed me to approach my maths teacher (one of my favourite teachers in school) for help. But when I'd mentioned the name of the Academy he frowned, and said "Oh dear! I've heard of the place Jeffrey. It's a very exclusive and expensive establishment. What possible reason could Alice's parents have had for sending her there?"

But later he did a little further research for me and informed me that the school in question --Academy for Young Ladies -- had the reputation of being not far short of some kind of prison camp. Well, he didn't say that in actual words. But he did tell me, that it was the kind of place where the young ladies of culture were very closely chaperoned at all times. And he also implied that he doubted that any letters that Sally and I had sent to Alice there would ever get through to her if her parents or the school authorities deemed that I was unacceptable company for Alice.

"A friend of mine went there for a job some years ago Jeffrey. She says that... well most of the young ladies in residence there... putting it succinctly, they have been sent there to keep them away from the likes of you and I! Or men in general in some cases, if you understand me...?" 

Which, I did not at the time, by the way.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, so please don't tell anyone where you heard it. I've been discussing it with some of my colleagues. Susan Arnold, we can understand why she might be sent to an establishment like that; Susan has a bit of a reputation in the staff-room. But Alice and Emma, they were very highly thought of by all the other teachers. They are both highly motivated in their studies and well behaved. Very pretty girls as you know, and... if we discount the fact that you and Alice have been... very close for a long time. None of the other teachers thought they are in any kind of moral danger. And you're not the type to do anything stupid, are you Jeffrey?"

"No sir!"

"But, as Mr Gorman (the headmaster) said, Alice and Emma's parents have never liked you for some reason; do you know why?"

"Yes sir! I blooded Reggie's nose for him in the park, the first year I started here."

"Knowing Reg Arnold, I would suspect that he deserved it. But he was a lot bigger than you, back then!"

"My dad says, the bigger they are the harder they fall. And yes sir, he did deserve all he got from me that day. My dad agreed with me as well. But Alice's stepfather, he got all out of shape over it"

"Then I might hazard a guess, that perhaps it is Alice's relationship with you that has led to her father..."

"Stepfather sir. When I met him, I got along great with Mr Porter, Alice's real father. He even arranged for me to be able to get into the Country Club, so I could teach Alice and Emma to swim."

"Okay, Alice's mother then. I would suggest that... it is possible that Alice's mother and her stepfather have only recently learnt of... Well, you two have never flaunted your friendship, but it is obvious and the whole school knows about you and Alice. You do know that, don't you?"

"Yes sir."

"Well then, it's highly likely that Alice has been shipped off to pastures new to... separate the pair of you."

"Yes sir, that's what Sally and I thought. But they surely can't stop us writing to her?"

"If you write to her at that school, then I somehow doubt Alice... or Emma will ever receive your letters Jeffrey; that's the kind of place it is. And them, successfully getting letters out to you; I doubt that will happen, unless the girls can find a way to clandestinely smuggle them out of the school."

My maths teacher didn't leave it there, a couple of weeks later our French teacher, Miss Lovette, (reputedly my maths teacher's intended) collared Sally and I together and gave us brochures for the Academy. She also translated some of the gobbledegook in them for us. 

According to Miss Lovette, the place literally was a kind of private Approved School. Its curriculum is designed bring (or keep) unruly young ladies under control.

It didn't say any of that in plain English that most people would understand. As I said, our Miss Lovette had to literally translate it for us. But Sally and I were shocked to see that ADHD and couple of other pseudo psychiatric disorders that we had heard of, were mentioned in the text.

However being totally frank, Sally and I were not particularly worried. Okay so we had been cut off from Alice for a while. But we figured that when the Christmas holiday rolled along we'd see her soon enough, and we would be able to work-out some.... Well, as my friendly maths teacher had put it, a clandestine method of communication.

But that had been wishful thinking, it didn't happen! We don't even know if Alice and Emma ever came back to the Vicarage that Christmas. Reggie did, that's for sure, we know that because he was spotted a couple of times by friends of ours. However no one who we knew clapped eyes on Alice and Emma, or Susan Arnold either that year.

Then, a day or so after our own school broke-up for the holiday, the whole Arnold household shipped off abroad somewhere for the rest of the Christmas break. Well George Arnold and the Second Mrs. Arnold did anyway, and one has to suppose that all of their children went with them.

That was to be the norm from then on, around the time any school holidays started, sometimes just the Second Mrs. Arnold and the children, but very often George Arnold as well, would sally forth to far-flung parts of the world.

We heard through the grapevine after each of their trips away, that the Second Mrs. Arnold had a great time bragging to all of her cronies about the magical places she and her husband had taken the children to see. But that was all to come to light in the future.

As the New Year started I was disappointed at how the situation had developed. My... our, Sally's and my plans had come to nothing, and in the ensuing months, my loss of contact with Alice began to have, unforeseen effects on me. I'm told that I became morose and I know my schoolwork suffered.

Well, I hadn't understood it at the time, but looking back later I realize that I really had been in love with Alice. I've been told since that I was effectively mourning my loss of her love. Or pining for her if you like?

Yeah well, my teachers, arranged for me to have a couple of sessions with the school trick-cyclist, and she did her best to explain it all to me. I can't say that she did me any good though.

Sally and I had continued sending letters to Alice at regular intervals, although we doubted she'd received any of them. But we kind-of hoped that someone might get careless one day. The analyst or whatever you call her, told me that I should stop doing that, not that Sally and I took any notice. Actually I don't think that woman achieved anything other than to explain to me that I had been in love with Alice.

It was during the summer holidays -- after it had become patently clear to us that Alice would not be returning to the Vicarage in the near future -- that Bill came up with his master plan.

Bill had been a member of the local Army Cadet Unit ever since he'd been old enough to join. In a funny way that had enhanced my relationship with Sally, because when Bill was at his unit meetings or on camp and exercise with them, Sally was usually with me. And Alice of course, while she had been around.

Anyway, Bill's plan was that when the new school term started, he and I would... well, we'd head up north to where the Academy was situated and then... well we weren't quite sure what we had planned for then. But we figured that we might even be able to break-in to the school and find Alice, or at least find someone who could smuggle messages in to her or Emma.

That was the basic plan, and up to a point it went well. However Bill's plan hadn't included Sally and she was having none of that. So in the end, all three of us boarded the train heading north. Bill had kitted Sally and I out with Cadet Core issue camouflage clothing and all sorts of other gear that he'd begged, borrowed or stolen from his Cadet Unit's stores.

We found the Academy without much of a problem, but at first sight it looked like Fort Knox. The damned place had obviously been a convent or something at one time; it was surround by a wall at least twelve feet high. And as far as we could ascertain none of the students ever left the school grounds during term time.

However we guessed that we would be able to see over the wall from the upper deck of a double-decker bus. We had a good idea of the layout from a little map that had been included in the brochure our Miss Lovette had supplied us with. What she would have said had she learnt of our plan, I have no idea.

Fortuitously we boarded a bus taking local children home from school, with the intention of spying out the layout of the Academy's grounds visually.

"You're wasting your time!" A boy sitting behind us said, as Bill and I discussed a possible route from the wall to the dorm buildings.

We looked at him and he immediately asked which of our girlfriends, was "doing time!"

"Mine!" I replied.

"Well you ain't getting in there, mate! You ain't the first and I doubt you'll be the last. That place has got hidden TV cameras and trip wires everywhere. At least one poor bloke turns up every year trying to find a way in. They all finish-up in the police station, take my word for it. Ain't that right?" he added turning to his friend sitting beside him, who assured us that he was telling the truth.




The Big Limousine Disappeared!



But Bill pointed out to them that we had all this army camouflage gear with us, and with Bill's Cadet Unit training he was sure we'd get past any security.

The two lads went on to talk about the possibility of hidden mantraps and other such nasty equipment. But we discounted any of that hokum; because there had appeared to be nothing stopping anyone inside the grounds approaching the wall. If there were any mantraps -- besides being illegal -- there would always be danger of one of the students walking into them.

The two lads didn't have an answer for that argument. But they did inform us that -- if we had a good pair of binoculars or a telescope with us -- from a certain vantage point, it was possible to get a view of the students sports ground and recreation lawns. Then they agreed to take us to the place, after they changed out of their school clothes.

The lads led us out of the village and into some woods. Once in the woods we obviously went in a large semi-circle, passing over some pretty rough terrain on the way and mostly uphill. I never really realized that we were climbing up so high until eventually we came to the edge of the woods and there laid out below us was the school and its grounds. I recognized what I was looking at immediately because one of the pictures in the brochure must surely have been taken from the vicinity of where we were standing. The two boys urged us to remain under the cover of the trees.

"We don't like them to spot us up here too often." One of the boys said.

Why not; it's not private ground is it? Bill asked. The woods hadn't been fenced, and lower down there had been plenty of well used paths.

"No, it's its Forestry Commission ground; anyone can walk here. But you see that pond in the school grounds? Well sometimes in the warm weather some of the girls go skinny-dipping in there. Most of the time the school staff seem to ignore them when they do. But if any of the staff have seen people up here on the ridge, well they get jittery and stop the girls' stripping-off.

"Besides this is the only place from which you can see into the grounds properly, and the logical place for anyone to case the joint from. They're not daft down there, they're really security minded, both keeping the girls in and...

"Randy little sods out!" Sally suggested.

"You got it Sally. So if you've got a mind to try to get in there, the last thing you need is for them to spot someone up here on this ridge; you'll have even less of a chance if they do." The boy grinned back at her.

We lay in the grass at the edge of the woods scrutinizing all the girls we could see in the gardens through binoculars. We noted that both the local boys were equipped with a very powerful pair each. But I'll add that it was September, so I doubted anyone would be swimming.

Eventually Sally spotted Emma talking with some other girls. It was frustrating we could see her but we were far to far away to attract her attention. Then very suddenly, all the girls in the garden started moving in the same direction.

One of the boys told us "It's their evening meal time, we can't hear the PA system that sounds the dinner gong up here, unless the wind's in the right direction."

Then while we watched we saw Alice come out of one on the dormitory buildings and join her sister, then both of them followed all the other girls round the side of a building and out of our sight.

However Sally, Bill and I thought that a good development. We assumed that Alice had been in her own dormitory, so we figured we then knew where to find her.

"Right now's the time for us to go for it, while they are all in the dinning hall eating." Bill suggested. "Where's the nearest place we can get to that wall without being seen lads?"

The two appeared shocked that Bill was suggesting that we go in during daylight. But Bill said it looked like there were plenty of places -- bushes etcetera -- inside the wall for us to hide in. We'd get in while all the students and teachers were eating their evening meal and then lie low until it got dark. Bill was working on the premise that if there were trip wire alarms and cameras near to the wall, we'd have a better chance of spotting them in daylight.

In the event there were no trip wires, and possibly no cameras either; we never saw any anyway. But what must have been there, were, microphones, vibration sensors or something along those lines, buried in the ground. They must have set off silent alarms the instant we hit the ground inside that ruddy wall. 

Bill and I got in alright and we soon found a really good hiding place. However a number of police with dogs came hunting for us, very shortly after we'd gone to ground. Well before any of the students had reappeared after their evening meal.

Sally who'd remained outside the wall was also picked-up, but the two local boys -- who had remained with her -- had managed to make good their escape. Mainly we think because Sally had made an obvious -- diversionary -- run-for-it, to allow them to getaway. Luckily the police dog just tore the sleeve of her jacket and didn't actually bite her.

At the local police station we soon gathered that the local boys had been telling the truth. A boyfriend trying to get into that school to find his girl was not a unique occurrence. Neither was one or two of the students there trying to break out, by the sound of it.

Bill and I were given police cautions for being on enclosed premises, apparently there wasn't much they could do or say to Sally except for warning her about the consequences for aiding and abetting criminal acts.

Then the police got down to the serious point that the three of us were classed as runaways. Well we hadn't told our parents what we were intending to do, and they'd reported all three of us as missing persons.

My father drove up to collect us, and yeah well, Bill and I got a real... bollocking. My father looked at Sally and said, "You disappoint me girl. These two numskulls I can understand, but what did you think you were doing, Sally?"

Sally didn't answer him.

I think we were all in our families' bad books for some weeks after that, and even my teacher friend tore me off a strip.

However that wasn't the end of the incident. Some weeks later I arrived home from school to find a police officer in the house with my mother and father.

"Jeffrey, do you know what a stalker is?" the policeman asked me.

"Er yeah, someone who wont leave someone else alone. Keeps... well, tormenting them."

"That's it lad. So why are you stalking Alice Porter?"

"I'm not, she's my... well, she was, my girlfriend."

"I see, and since she went off to college how many times has she contacted you?"

"Well she hasn't, we don't think she's allowed to!"

"I somehow doubt that my lad. But anyway you have sent her what... it must be two hundred letters now. How many has she sent you?"

"None sir, we don't think she's allowed to write to us."

"Us?"

"My friend Sally and I."

"Well according to her parents, Alice Porter does not wish for you to keep trying to contact her, and what with your little escapade the other week... Well son, you're beginning to fit the outline of a stalker. A young stalker I'll give you... But a stalker, none the less! 

Now if you know what's good for you, you will forget Alice Porter ever existed. Do not write to her again and for gods sake don't try any more stunts like that episode the other week. Or my boy, our next meeting will not ending as amicably as this one has!"

Then the officer wished my parents goodnight and left.

================

No I didn't leave it there, but I ceased writing any more letters to Alice or Emma. Sally though, well she hadn't been threatened with a stalking charge.

What I did was to change tack. Approaching the Arnolds was out of course. But Frank Porter he was a different proposition wasn't he? I could talk to Frank and I felt I could trust him. 

However I knew that finding the guy was not going to be easy, I literally had no idea where to start at first. But then Sally suggested the Country Club.

Well for Alice and Emma to be associate members, her father Frank Porter would have to be a member. I knew for sure that the Arnolds weren't members; it was common knowledge that some one had blocked George Arnold's application and blackballed him. The most likely candidate for having done that, I thought was Frank Porter; but it's something I'll never know for sure.

My father insisted that it could not have been, George Arnold had been refused a membership to the Country Cub long before any of that debacle had occurred. My dad did not specify what "that debacle!" actually was. But he went on.

"No bugger has ever liked George Arnold my boy. He just has the habit of rubbing everyone up the wrong way. The man has much too high an opinion of himself for most people's tastes."

"Hilary was very nice!" my mother added.

"Yeah, never did make much sense, that!" My father agreed, "However did a nice woman like that finish up with a tosser like George Arnold? She was a good-looker as well!"

I was just a little confused, having only ever heard her referred to as the "First Mrs. Arnold" but soon enough, I kind-a worked out whom the "Hilary" was, that my mother was talking about.

Anyway Sally's mention of getting in touch with Frank Porter through the Country Club seemed obvious and I could not understand why I had not thought of it before.

Luckily the membership card that said I was Alice and Emma's personal trainer was still arriving in the post every year. Aren't computers wonderful things, they just keep doing things over until some bugger tells them to stop.

However it did not prove to be as easy as I thought it would be. Enquires from the reception desk gave me two pieces of information, neither much use. Firstly, that they could not give out personal details about members. The woman wasn't being obstructive, she actually suggested that my best bet was to search out the member I wanted see while they were actually on site. However after checking the records she also informed me that Frank Porter rarely visited the club anymore.

Following Bill's Maxim, that if the front door is locked, then use the backdoor (or even a window); I then headed for the swimming pool office. Where by that time my old friend the lifeguard/swimming-coach had been promoted to Manager of Aquatic Facilities.

On hearing the story of Alice and Emma's... internment, he promised that he'd discover whatever he could about Frank Porter, i.e. Frank's address and anything else that might be of use to me, and get back to me as soon as he could.

A few days later he turned up at our house one evening and explained that -- because of company rules -- he could not give me Frank's Porters address or telephone number.

"It won't do you any good anyway, Jeffrey. The number is no longer allocated and an Asian family have been living in the flat for sometime now. I know that for sure because I went around there myself. Seems they bought the place last year sometime, after it had been repossessed by a mortgage company."

"Another dead-end for the boy, then!" My father commented.

"Well maybe not. There's something a little different about Frank Porter's membership to the Country Club; a company in London pays it for. Probably a company perk or something like that. I called them and asked to speak to Frank Porter and... well, I got the strangest reaction. They wanted to know who I was and why I was calling, and then after keeping me hanging on forever, some guy came on the phone and said that Frank no longer works for the company."

"Another dead-end!" My father said.

"Not necessarily, it took them a very long time before that guy came on the telephone, and I'd swear I heard the girl who answered say 'it's someone looking for Frank!' before she thought to hit the mute button. A trip up there might possibly be worth your while Jeffrey.

"Mind you, I can't actually give you the company name or their address, that would be going against Club policy and could possibly cost me my job. Right, I'd better be going now; busy night at the club this evening."

But as he got up to leave, a piece of paper fell from the folder he was carrying. Just a page turn from a secretary's shorthand pad; but scribbled on it was the name and address of a company in the City of London.

The next morning my father dropped me at the station on his way to work.

"You sure you want to do this on your own lad?" He asked, handing me a pile of cash.

"Yeah dad," I replied, "they might take pity on a kid!"

"You're not such a kid anymore Jeffrey. Good luck and don't forget to call your mother. I'm sure she's having kittens about this." 

"Actually finding the building was a lot harder than I anticipated. But once I got inside, there was a big board on the wall, on where eventually I found that the company I wanted was on the seventh and eight floors. I got out of the lift on the seventh and went straight to the reception desk. The young woman sitting behind it was on the telephone and I immediately assumed that it had been her that my lifeguard friend had spoken to.

When I asked for Frank Porter, she gave me a funny look, then picked up the receiver again and pushed a few buttons.

"There's a young man out here sir, asking to see... Francis Porter."

This was odd; I'd definitely asked her if I could to speak to Frank Porter.

Whomever she had spoken to, obviously said something back to her, because then she added, "Very young sir!" before replacing the receiver and saying. "Take a seat please. Someone will be with you shortly."

Maybe five minutes later a man came out of the lift and went over to the young woman on reception. Then they both looked my way as they whispered to each other. Then the smiling the guy walked over to me and asked.

"May I help you young man?"

"Yes sir, I hope so." I replied getting to my feet and shaking the hand he had proffered.

Trying to make my handshake firm but not aggressive, as my father had always told me that it should be.

"I'm trying to locate Mr Frank Porter?"

"Isn't everyone," the man relied as a sort of throw away remark but then he went on, "Would you mind telling why you are looking for him young man?"

"It's a personal matter sir, I'm... well I was his daughter's boyfriend and..."

"She's vanished as well, I thought..."

"No sir. I know where Alice is sir; I just can't get in touch with her. The security at her new school is unbelievable. Alice's mother doesn't like me and..."

"Ah, I see where you are going. But you and Frank got along alright?"

"Good as gold sir, as far as I'm aware. But I only met him a couple of times and that was a few years ago."

"You and Frank's daughter were together that long? She must have been quite young!"

"We were just friend's back then sir. I met his daughter just after he and his wife separated."

Ah, that explains a lot. Mrs. Porter didn't like you and Frank encouraged your friendship with his daughter. Yes that sounds like Frank to me, all right.

"But I'm sorry young man, we really can't help you here. Frank left this company's employ rather suddenly, a couple of years ago now. I'm afraid that no one here knows where to find Frank Porter today. However if you leave me your name and address... well, I'll pass it along and... well, you never know."

Feeling dejected, I thanked the guy and left to go home.

However once again, that wasn't the end of the matter. Two days later I had another visit from a policeman at home; a detective that time.

My parents sat in while he... well he questioned me about why I was looking for Frank Porter and he seemed to understand.

"You'll be very lucky if you find Frank Porter young man. We've been looking for him for a couple of years now. And you know what, it's highly likely that your Alice... and her sister haven't been sent away to stop you two seeing each other. I would hazard a guess that it's to stop their father whisking them out of the country."

"Why would he want to do that?" my father asked.

"Well a certain person did something rather naughty. A certain George Arnold lives next door to you, doesn't he?" 

My father confirmed the fact.

"Yeah well, a certain group of unnamed individuals, but all of whom worked in the City, took George Arnold and his company for a good few million on the quiet a while back. Stitched him up quiet nicely to be honest. Frank Porter disappeared around the same time, and the fraud squad have been looking for him ever since."

"You think that Frank Porter fiddled a load of money out of Arnold."

"We're pretty sure Frank Porter was behind it, Mr Turner. But we can't find him to ask him if you understand me. Lets face it Frank Porter had the motive, didn't he. And if anyone really wanted to hurt George Arnold, then what better place than in his pocket?

"But I'm sorry lad, I can do nothing to help you with your quest to contact the love of your life. But remember, once she's eighteen... well, there's nothing her mother or George Arnold can do to stop you two getting together again then."

The officer then left, but I was to run into him again.

Oh, I should add that the following year my card for the Country Club didn't arrive. When I enquired about it, I was informed that my sponsoring member's account was in default. It appeared that my enquiries at the company in London had led to them updating their computer records.

================

I have no idea for how long Sally kept sending letters to Alice and Emma at that school. Sally -- and all my other friends -- tried their best never to mention Alice or Emma in my presence after that. I really did my best to forget about her.

Although it didn't help that our mothers, and Bill's -- while not ever mentioning either of the girls directly to me -- did try to use their mothers union type network of friends to get information about them. It appears that The Second Mrs. Arnold liked to brag about their holidays abroad and her daughters' achievements. However any information that was gained via that route turned out to be unreliable, often contradictory.

Time passed as it inevitably does. Bill signed up for the army before he'd even left school, much to Sally's chagrin. But if that's what her man wanted, then Sally appeared -- with reservations -- to be happy for him to become a solder. I think we were all somewhat happier to learn later that Bill was going to train to be a helicopter mechanic.

Somewhere along the line my friend at the country club got me a job there. At first just cleaning the pool and later as a part-time lifeguard; I needed to get the relevant qualifications first, both for lifeguard and in first-aid.

I left school and started college. I had had aspirations of going to university, but for a long time I doubted that would be on the cards, financially. University costs money and as a family we just didn't have that kind of spare cash. Yeah, I could have taken out student loans but I really didn't want to spend my whole life with a damned great debt behind me. I hoped one day to own my own house outright like my parents had. God knows what kind of pressure George Arnold might have been able to bring to bear, had my father owed money on our house.

Shortly after I started college Sally and I... Bill was off at his army training camp most of the time, so Sally and I were almost always together. Anyway, we began to hear more and more rumours that Reg Arnold was around, although we never saw him around the Vicarage.

Eventually he got bolder and wherever he was living, we did catch sight of him now and again in town. I say he got bolder because, rumour had it that both Bill and I were looking for Reggie, if you get my drift. We weren't, by the way. I couldn't-a cared less what the bugger did providing he didn't try to get clever with me again.




The Big Limousine Disappeared!



Whatever, it soon became obvious that the whole damned town was aware of that rumour. Doormen at the local pubs and clubs would get all jittery when Sally and I arrived sometimes. And then shortly after, it would be drawn to my attention that Reggie Arnold had just left the establishment.

It had little effect on me because I was never refused entry anywhere. More likely, I believe, Reggie might have been asked to leave. The Arnolds weren't at the top of very many people's popularity polls.

It was around that time that I first heard mention of Roger Vine. I had no idea who the guy was -- and didn't care really -- but it was often reported to Sally or me, that Vine had been in Reggie's company.

To be honest it was like a little game I played, I never denied the rumour that I was after Reg Arnold's blood, but I never confirmed it either. Life went on as if the guy had never existed.

Sally and I got on well at college and pretty quickly she announced that she was going to train as a schoolteacher. That kind-a left me wondering where I was really going, but the head of physical education at the college suggested that I should study it at University.

Immediately I came up with the "No student loan for me!" argument but he instantly shot that down by talking about bursaries. I'll be honest I had little idea what he was talking about at the time.

Whatever, a year or so later the bugger swung it and I went off to study physical education at university level. But that was in the future.

Bill completed his training and then because he was stationed miles away while he trained, he asked Sally to marry him. Sally said yes and at seventeen and eighteen they became man and wife. What was extremely fortuitous was that Sally quickly wangled her way into a teacher training college not far from the college Bill was attending.

I missed having Sally around almost as much as I'd missed Alice when she had left. But I was much busier by then. Most evenings and weekends, I was either life-guarding or teaching swimming at the Country Club.

Unreliable reports reached my ears that Alice was already at university somewhere, or alternatively at some flash finishing school, reputed to be in Paris. However as I said, several different universities mentioned, ranging between Oxford and Cambridge, and even Yale in the States on occasions. Someone was deliberately feeding-out misinformation I very much suspected. But whether it was intended to confuse me or Alice's real father, or for some other reason, I have no idea.

The day before I shipped off to university I went to the Country Club to say goodbye to all my friends and colleagues there. And on the way home, for some reason I didn't go the short way along the main road. I took the back path round the golf course and through the park as Alice and I had done together so many times. Boy was that a mistake; did that walk make me feel melancholy!

As a walked through the park itself I remembered it all, everything that had happened there over the years. Especially the day Bill, Sally and I first heard Emma screaming in fear up that tree. And how cold the water had felt when I dived into the lake and dragged Alice out. "Yeah, it is a lake, why the hell does everyone call it a river?" I asked myself staring back at the water.

Then I looked up at our tall climbing tree and wondered whether any children still climbed into its hallowed branches.

Don't ask me why because I can't tell you; but something forced me to climb that tree one more time.

It took but a few seconds and at the top I found that someone had obliterated the initials that Bill, Sally Alice and I had carved into the trunk by the top most (sitting) branch many years before.

Taking out my Swiss-army-knife, I carved them back again. Then feeling even more morose, I climbed down and went home.

================

At Uni I threw myself into everything I could find. Student union, sports clubs... you name it and Jeffrey Turner was on the membership list. Before I knew it I was representing the university in swimming and diving competitions. Not that diving was really my forte, but I was roped in anyway. I believe because the chief coach had heard of my uncle.

I also discovered that I had been very lucky getting that particular bursary. It was the first time it had been awarded to anyone, and it covered my term fees, accommodation and there was even enough money leftover for all my books and the like.

I dated a few girls, but never anything serious. Jesus, I was too busy to get serious with another girl. Thoughts of Alice filled my head when my mind went in that direction.

Well really, by that time, I had it figured that Alice had forgotten about me. Surely she had to be in university herself by then and wherever it was, it was unlikely to be a prison camp like that school had been. As far as we knew Alice had made no attempt to contact Sally or myself. Or Bill either, I suppose I should add.

I was in my last year just coming up to my finals when my mother and father died. A gas explosion they said at the inquest. Just one of those things, another unfortunate and tragic accident!

Bill's mother's house had also been damaged but she had been out at the time of the explosion. She had hers repaired, then she sold it and moved into a house she was to share with Bill and Sally. Possibly she bought the house and they shared it with her, I never learnt the details anyway.

I didn't have my parents' house repaired, I sold it as it stood and banked the insurance money. With my mother, father, Bill and Sally all gone, there was nothing back there for me anyway.

Instead -- on graduating -- I took a job on the south coast, with -- of all organisations -- the Ambulance Service. I have no idea why, but I'd made up my mind to train as a paramedic. I really do not know why, possibly because it had been paramedics who'd been the first on the scene of the explosion that killed my parents. Who knows how or why these ideas get into our heads.

I hadn't been down there a year when I got word that Bill had been killed, following a land mine explosion. Actually they don't call them landmines now.... Oh no, lets not go there. Bill had been picked-off by a sniper when he went to the aid of another injured soldier. Posthumously Bill and another guy -- who did survive -- were decorated for their actions that day.

I went back home for the funeral -- Bill was buried alongside his father -- and that's where I had made my naive promise to Sally. At Bill's graveside I promised Sally that, wherever and whenever she needed me, I would be there for her!

At his funeral, Bill's mother had looked like she'd suddenly aged ten years. Within weeks she and Sally had moved in with Sally's parents. Sally getting a job quite quickly at our old junior school. But within eight months, Bill's mother had past away; from a broken heart according to Sally. The grass hadn't fully grown back on Bill's grave when they laid his mother in with her husband.

Almost another year passed and I was visiting Sally, helping her celebrate her twenty-forth birthday. And my own twenty-fifth, which was due shortly I should add. We were sitting in her parents lounge after dinner when Sally handed me an envelope.

"This is addressed to you," I pointed out."

"Yeah, but you need to read it, Jeff!" She replied.

"What is it?"

"For Christ sake, open it and see!"

I did and then pulled out the card that was within and read it out-loud.



Mr and Mrs George Arnold

Request the honour of presence of

Mrs Sally Parsons and Companion

At the marriage of their daughter

Alice Helena Porter

and

Mr Roger Brendon Vine



It went on the list our local church, the time and venue for the reception, etcetera. 

"Are you going?" I asked.

"I'm not sure Jeffrey. I really don't know that I ever want to go into that church again. Bill and I were married before that altar. Bill's coffin lay there, and so did his mother's and both your parent's coffins. I'm not sure that I ever want to go into that place again."

"Then don't!"

"That's easy for you to say, but Alice wants me to be her maid of honour!"

"She's asked you; you've spoken to Alice?"

"No, Emma called me the other day to ask me on Alice's behalf; the same day as that invitation arrived."

"Where is she... are they?"

"I'm not sure, maybe over the road, but no one's seen either of them. All of the girls just got invitations in the post like me. I still don't think anyone has seen or spoken to Alice since... well, they went off to that school."

"What did Emma, actually say?"

"Well that was a little odd, but then everything about that family is odd, isn't it? Emma was short and to the point. Like she was in a hurry. She just said "Hello Sal" and asked me if I'd received the invitation to Alice's wedding. I said that it had come that morning and she said that she already knew it had. Then she said that Alice had asked her to ask me if I would be her maid of honour.

"You know Alice and Emma must be over there. Emma must have seen the postman deliver that invite, or even may have asked him if he had when he went there. Then she called not five minutes after I got home from the school that evening. She just gave me time to put the car in the garage and get inside the house. She must have been watching for me."

"But Alice didn't ask you herself."

"No!"

"And are you going to go to her wedding, maid of honour or not?"

"I'm not sure Jeff, I'm in two minds. She was my friend remember, probably the best girlfriend that I've ever had."

"Best Girlfriend?"

"You know that, beside my parents, the two most important people in my whole life were you and Bill. But Alice... and little Emma, they are running close behind you. I'm just not sure that I can face going into that damned church again." 

"Then don't Sally, that place holds enough bad memories for me, let alone you. Give it a miss girl, maybe go to the reception later."

"I'm with Jeffrey on that one Sally. You always look like you are about to cry when you drive past the place." Sally's mother added from the doorway.

"Are you going to go?" Sally asked me.

"Jesus no! Nothing in heaven or on this earth could persuade me to attend that wedding, I can assure you of that!"

"That's what I figured you'd say. But you should do!"

"For gods sake why?"

"Because, Jeffrey, just because!"

"Well I wouldn't go even if I did have an invite, which ain't likely to happen you know that as well as I do!" 

I popped in to see Sally before I went back my own home on the south coast the following day. From what she'd said then, I thought that Sally had decided to give Alice's wedding a miss. That early morning phone call I received from Sally the following weekend, proved that I was wrong.

==========================

Story Divergence Point 

==========================

We hadn't caught Alice's eye, but Emily -- who was a bridesmaid -- did spot us... well, me for sure. I know because our eyes locked for a moment or two, effectively stopping Emma in her tracks and almost causing her to lose her position in the procession. But she soon recovered when another bridesmaid nudged her from behind.

"Did you tell Alice and Emma that I was coming today?" I whispered to Sally.

"No, I hadn't seen either of them since the hen night, I don't think any of the girls have. I don't recognise any of those bridesmaids except for Emma. I wonder who they are?"

"Friends from Uni or that school, I should imagine." I suggested, "Maybe even from that French finishing school that was bandied about. They all look pretty full-of-themselves anyway. Weren't any of them at Alice's hen night?"

"Bridesmaids are supposed to look like cultured young ladies, Jeffrey; and until they've had a few drinks at the reception, most behave like they are. Anyway no, there were only our old crowd... the girls from school at the hen night. To be honest with you, I don't really think that the Arnolds knew where Alice and Emma had been that night. They looked pretty shocked when the two girls fell out of that taxi."

"Fell out! Were they that bad?"

"Worse than bad, Jeff; Alice was legless. She was putting it away like there was no tomorrow!"

"Why? Christ, having a few is one thing... but getting completely pie-eyed. I can't see the point in it."

"I told you the other night; to me it looked like Alice was having second thoughts."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know, she never said anything in actual words. But Alice didn't seem to want to talk about her intended and neither did Emma. Besides telling us that that ruddy school was far worse than any of us could ever imagine, they never said much at all really. Oh they had no idea about us going up there by the way. Emma says she thinks she could recall a security clampdown around the right time, but they had no idea that it was you and Bill trying to get into the school. They thought it was another girl getting caught trying to get out. Not an unusual occurrence, I gathered."

By that time the procession had reached the front of the church and the usual rigmarole was beginning to get itself organised. So Sally and I stopped speaking and turned our attention back there.

Alice and Vine were by that time standing in front of the vicar, but her bridesmaids were still fiddling with her dress and helping her lift the veil from her face, as they tend to do. 

But then I noticed Emma put her hand on Alice's arm to attract her attention. That led to Alice turning slightly and leaning her head close to Emma so that her sister could whisper something to her.

Whatever Emma did say to her, it took Alice by surprise. Everyone could see that from her body language. Alice's head shot-up and she scrutinised the congregation, with a somewhat concerned expression on her face. Eventually her eyes fell on Sally and me. Well, to this day, I believed that they did. I'm convinced that Alice was staring right back at me for what seemed like an absolute age, but was probably no more than a couple of seconds; if that. Then she... well she smiled and shrugged her shoulders; then looked back at her sister and began to whisper something to her. Well, I assume she was talking in a very low voice anyway.

But then fate took an unexpected hand. It was while Alice was whispering to Emma that someone decided to turn the PA system on. The radio receiver collecting the signals from the wedding party anyway, and we all heard Alice's voice suddenly booming out of the speakers.

"... late now, anyway!"

"Too late for what?" Vine asked Alice.

But then he realised that his voice was also coming over the PA system and he covered his microphone with his hand.

Alice did the same, and they had a short private discussion that led to Vine staring out at the congregation for a few seconds. Then after conversing with Alice again, he removed his hand from the microphone and asked the vicar to proceed with the service. I'm afraid that I could make little of either's body language. While they had been talking, Alice had been shaking and nodding her head quite a bit. But what she was saying yes and no too, I have no idea.

The vicar then looked at Alice, I assumed to get confirmation that it was her wish to proceed, and she gave a nod of her head in reply.

Whatever, from then on the service then went much as hundreds of others do in churches all over the world every weekend. They are roughly the same, except for the two principles, so there is no point in describing any of that here.

As Alice and her new husband neared our pew on their parade out of the church, Alice glanced my way and... well, I can't really describe what passed between us; I found that I was a little more than emotional by that time. But Alice appeared to have an apologetic expression on her face. Then an instant later she and Vine had passed out of our sight through the door.

But as they vanished from my sight, George and the Second Mrs. Arnold came into it. There was no mistaking the expressions on their faces!

Moments after Alice's parents had gone through those doors; the general rush to follow the Bride and Groom outside started.

"Let's get the hell out of here?" I said to Sally, and we began moving in the opposite direction to the throng.

Being that it had been our local church all of our lives, Sally and I were well aware that we would be able to exit to the outside much more quickly, via the ringers' door at the base of the bell tower. 

Those bells were ringing, so that door would have to have been unlocked during the service so that certain bell ringers could nip out for a quiet smoke.

Actually it was supposed to be unlocked so the bell ringers could come and go without disturbing the sanctity of the service; but my first explanation is far closer to the truth of the situation.

"What now? I hope for Christ sake that you don't want to go to the reception!" I said to Alice when we did get out into the afternoon sunshine.

"Hell no, Jeff. But, I think I want to watch the photo call out front!"

"Why, for haven's sake?"

"Because I need to, and I think you need to, Jeff. Alice has gone, I really do think that you need to see her go."

"We just saw her get married and it nearly tore my heart out, Sally."

"I know Jeff but you need to see her drive into the sunset without you. I'm sorry but I honestly believe that you do need to witness that."

"Okay Sally. But I can't understand why, and I'm not sure that it's a good idea!"

"Jeffrey, don't I recall your father telling you, on more than one occasion, 'Don't argue, say yes...'"

"Okay you win, come on lets get round there before they've gone then."

"There's no rush, we've plenty of time. They'll be fiddling with those pictures for a good ten minutes yet."

When we made the front of the church the wedding party was indeed still fiddling with the photo call. But on spying us, Emma instantly stepped out of her place and rushed to envelope me in her arms.

I might add that her doing so brought some confusion, and an unplanned and unwelcome hiatus in the proceedings. George Arnold and the Second Mrs. Arnold started yelling at Emma, ordering her to return to her place.

"I'm sorry, Jeff... and so is Alice. God it's so good to see you!" Was all Emma had time to say before she was quite literally, pulled away from me and pushed back into her place in the line-up by her mother. Who, by the way, was giving me a look that should have sent me to my maker.

"What did Emma mean by that?" I asked Sally.

"I don't know, Jeff; I honestly don't know!" She replied.

Just a couple of times during the photo call, did Alice and my eyes catch each other's, but she was definitely avoiding looking directly at me. I'd say that when our eyes did engage, she'd instantly looked away. It was like Alice wanted to know that I was there watching her, but she didn't want me to know that she knew. I found it all very confusing.

But then our eyes did lock for a moment or two, just as the limousine carrying Alice and her new husband off to the reception, pulled away. As vehicle moved clear of the great crowd of humanity surrounding it, Alice's eye's met mine for the last time. I could read little in her expression, but there was no mistaking the tears rolling down her cheeks. Then the big limousine disappeared from my sight. 

"Can we get the hell out of here, now?" I said to Sally again.

"Yes Jeff, and the sooner the better; Reg is heading this way!"

"Whoa, that changes things. Where is the bastard?" I replied.

Well I was in the mood to give some bugger a smack on the nose; who could be better than dear old Reggie Arnold?

Although I was looking for him by then, Reg Arnold, his entourage and George Arnold burst out of the throng and were upon me before I saw them coming. Reggie did most of the talking, possibly because he did have more than a little back-up behind him that day.