Funny Business - Chapter 12, The Happy Day and a new Beginning

by

Samantha Michelle Davies (SamanthaMD)

Fully refreshed & relaxed, Liz & Charlie flew back to New York a week later.

They arrived home only to find that Charlie’s Mother was still on the warpath. For the time being, his Father was managing to keep her under control but not until she had fly posted their rented home with flyers exposing Liz to all their neighbours.

This single event only made it more imperative that they get out of town as soon as possible.

On the first full day back, Liz went into the City and met up with Jake to go over the final edits to the story.

Charles went to his Beach House for a meeting with his father.

“Hi Dad”

“Welcome back Son. You look good”

“Thanks. Yes. Barbados was very nice”

“Where’s Liz?”

“She’s gone into New York to meet Jake, the Editor”

“Is she ok?”

“Yes. She’s fine. We did a lot of talking in Barbados”

“Did it all make sense?”

“Yeah. I had a good idea about a lot of things in her past but even so, some of the things she’s been through were pretty awful”

His father looked at him.

“You really love her don’t you?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Yes.”

“Do you mind? Do you want know about Liz and her past?”

“Not in the slightest. I only want you to be happy. I’d love to have had some grandkids one day but at the moment I’m more concerned about you”

“How’s Mom?”

Charles Sr looked rather sad.

“She’s calmed down a bit after the episode with the fly posting. The local Sheriff Department gave her a $1500 fine and a really stern talking to.”

“I’d like to think she’ll stay that way as long as she doesn’t know you are back. She thinks you are on Maui”

“Thanks for the deception”

His father chuckled.

“It was only a little white lie. After all, you were on an Island close to the equator”

“Thanks anyway”

“Did you bring the papers?” asked his Father.

“Yes. There are all signed. You have the authority to sell this place. At least Mom can’t take this away from me”

“Yeah. It is rather a shame about the trust fund”. He laughed.

“Two lawyers in the family and neither of us bothered to read the small print of the contract”

They both forced a laugh. There was a good deal of money in that trust fund.

Neither of them wanted to force the matter through the courts. They both knew that Charlie’s Mother was a very determined woman when she put her mind on cone course of action.

“You know the market is quite a bit down at the moment?” said his Father changing the subject a bit.

“You will probably only get about 2.5 for it. A couple of years ago, it would have been double that at least”

“It’s not all about the money Dad”.

“I know son. I know”

Charlie gave his father a set of keys for the house.

“I’ll get the removers in a few days to clear everything and put it in storage. Then you can get it listed. How long do you think it will take to sell?”

“Summer is not far away. I’m sure it will get sold for the right price”

“Price it to sell Dad. Take the first decent Cash offer. ”

“I will.”

There was a moment of silence between the two men.

“Where are you going to go, that is if you don’t mind me asking?”

Charlie smiled.

“No Dad, I don’t mind you asking. Somewhere we can start again as a family”

He paused for a second.

“It is near the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. It straddled the border between Nevada & Idaho.”

“Wow. That is well out of the way. Why there?”

“Liz’s adopted brother is giving us a parcel of land as a wedding present”

“How big a parcel?”

Charlie smiled.

“Oh not much. Getting on for 36 thousand acres”

“Gee, that is some wedding present. Are you sure it is big enough?” he said grinning.

“I sure hope so. Apparently most of it is leased to the local Indians as it is next to the Reservation.”

His father stepped away and looked at his Son.

“I wish you luck Son. You & Liz make a great couple.”

Charlie stepped forward and hugged his father.

“Just don’t forget to send me an invitation to the wedding ok?”

“I won’t dad. I won’t”

Meanwhile Liz was on a train heading for Penn Station. She was due to meet Jake at the magazine offices.

Despite working there for several years, she was decidedly nervous, as it had been six months since she was last ‘in the office’. She felt as if it was her first time rather than her last time to visit her place of work.

As she walked across the Magazine editorial floor, she could feel everyone’s eyes on her. She forced a smile onto her face as she stopped outside Jake’s door.

She knocked and entered.

The beaming smile on his face hold her that he was glad to see her.

“Come on in Liz. Take a seat.”

“Thanks Jake”, replied Liz slightly nervously.

“How was the walk of shame?”, asked Jake referring to the scrutiny she’d received as she walked through the open plan office to Jake’s office.

Liz laughed.

“I hope I’m not the Weakest Link?” Replied Liz trying to make light of the ordeal.

“Not a chance Liz”

Jake poured some coffee for them both.

“How was the holiday?”

“Great. I really didn’t want to leave”

“How’s Charlie?”

“He’s fine. He’s with his father today sorting out some family business”

“Anything to do with his Mother?”

“In a roundabout way it is”

“When are you coming back to work for us?”

Liz laughed.

“You know I’m not”

“I had to ask just in case”

“Yeah Jake I know you did”

“Shall we get down to work?” suggested Jake changing the subject.

“Lets do just that”

Jake sat back in his chair and smiled at Liz.

“Actually there is nothing to do. Word has come down from on high that I’m not to change a word. So my dear friend Liz there is nothing more to do apart from put it to press and wait for the fashion week”

Liz smiled.

“So you got me here on false pretences then?”

“Just a bit. I wanted to see you and see how you are.”

“I’m fine. Barbados was great”

“Barbados? It’s all right for some then”

“It was some R&R. Mostly walking on the beach & relaxing. Charlie did take me to the races. It was great fun”

Liz was grinning all over her face.

“I take it you won then”

“Yeah. A 500/1 accumulator”

“Who bought dinner that night?”

“Charlie naturally”

“I guess that you are ok then. What are you two going to do next?”

Liz took hold of Jake’s hands and with a big smile on her face, she said,

“We are getting married in England. You’re invited so don’t worry. I’d be honoured if you would give me away?”

Jake was not all that surprised about them getting married but her request for him to give her away was very much a shock.

“What about your Brother?”

“Jake, I’d really like it if you could give me away. In a way, you saved my life.”

“Bill will just be proud that I’m getting married. Besides, he has Kat to look after”.

Jake thought for a moment.

“I’d be very proud to give you away. Just as long as it is not during any deadline weeks”

“Of course it won’t. I’ll make sure of that.”

“What are you going to wear?”

“’My’ wedding dress naturally” replied Liz with a huge smile on her face.

He grinned back and said “Good for you”

“Do you have any spies in the Designers place”, said Liz changing the subject.

Jake smiled and tapped the side of his nose.

Liz grinned.

“And what’s the gossip?”

“’T’ minus four months and counting” said Jake mimicking a NASA Countdown.

“That’s all I need to know”, replied a mightily relieved Liz.

On her way out of the office, Liz stopped by her old desk. Her former assistant Louise was sitting in ‘her’ chair.

“Well, does it fit?”

Louise jumped with surprise.

“Liz! You’re back? You startled me”

She was about to get up when Liz said,

“Stay there. You’ve lusted after my desk for long enough, you might as well keep it, for now at least”

“I don’t know what you mean. Aren’t you coming back to work?”

“No Louise, I’m not. I just came to hand Jake my resignation.”

Louise was more composed now.

“Where are you going to work?”

Liz smiled.

“I haven’t the faintest idea. None at all”

“What are you going to do then?”

“I’m getting Married”, replied Liz with a broad grin on her face.

“Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Oh, no one you could possibly know. We fell in love in Milan”

Liz thought, ok, it is a little bit of a lie but hey, whom cares, and it will feed the gossip machine quite nicely.

“Is he Italian then?”

“No.”

“Where will you live?”

“Somewhere in Europe. He has a nice place on the Mediterranean as well as an

apartment in London” lied Liz, enjoying every word she was uttering. She did have this vision of her nose getting longer and longer but hey, she though, I’m enjoying this.

“So, he’s loaded then?”

“He’s rich but not that rich. A little place on the coast near Perpignan”

“You’ve hit the jackpot then?” suggested Louise.

“I think so, yes”

“When’s the happy day?”

“In a few weeks in England. Don’t worry, Jake can tell you all about it. He’s coming”

Liz looked at her watch.

“Must dash, I’m having a fitting for my dress”

“Ohhh. Who’s the designer? You must tell”

“You are looking at her. I designed my own Wedding Dress.”

Without waiting for an answer, Liz simply said

“Bye”

Then she turned on her heels and left Louise to feed the office gossip machine. Louise would find it difficult beat that one.

Before all this assignment, she’d always tried to get one over on Liz. There was no way Louise would win this last encounter.

As Liz got into the lift, she gave her a ‘one up to me’ sign in the air. She was grinning from ear to ear. Louise just glared back.

While she waited for her train back to Southampton, she called Jake and updated him.

“You spun a good one there Liz.” He commented after she’d told him everything.

“Sorry Jake, I said the first thing that came into my head”

“You’ll have to bring Gloria in on the lie and you know how much a blabbermouth she is”

“Ok. Jake, I’ve said I’m sorry. What can I do to make amends?”

“I will try Jake, I will try”

Later that day, Liz was sitting in the sunroom at the rear of the house doing some sketches in the Southampton House when Charlie returned.

“Hi Darling, how did the meeting with your Father go?”

“Very well, he’s listed the house this week. He sends his regards by the way”

“How’s your Mother? Did you see her?”

“I didn’t see her but Pop says she is still on the warpath. He confirmed that she has frozen my trust fund. It is our own fault. Dad’s for not seeing it in the first place and mine for not reading it when I came of age”

Liz held his hand.

“Don’t worry darling. I have some savings and the money from the sale of the beach house should let us start afresh somewhere”

“Liz, I’m going to say this only once, any money you have is yours and yours alone. We can live off my earnings and what I have in the bank if needs be. When the house is sold there will be more than enough to live off of for some time to come”

They kissed for a long time.

“You are so sweet when you say things like that” whispered Liz when they came up for air.

Over dinner that night, Charlie asked,

“Have you thought where you want to get married?”

“I think I’d like to get hitched in England, why do you ask?”

“I was thinking of somewhere this side of the Atlantic”

“Isn’t that a little difficult? Only a few states allow full rights same sex marriages”

“Massachusetts does. What about England?”

“Not quite marriages but things called Civil Partnerships. Almost all the same rights as a full blown marriage”

Charlie smiled at Liz.

“I think England it should be then. Where do you propose?”

“There is only one place silly.”

“Don’t tell me. A certain stately home some 90 odd miles north of London that just happens to be licensed for weddings”

Liz grinned.

“Then I guess I’d better call Bill then”

“Not tonight you aren’t”

“Why?”

“Look at the time?”

The kitchen clock said 6:18pm

Then it dawned on Charlie that it was after 11pm in England.

“Tomorrow then. Let’s go out to dinner?”

“As long as you are paying”

*

[Three weeks later]

Charlie’s phone rang.

“Hi Dad. What’s up?”

“Oh great. How much?”

“Oh well. Beggars can’t be choosers. Does Mom know yet?”

“Ok. When do you expect to close the deal?”

“Fine. That sounds great”

“Yeah. Next Friday on United to Birmingham at 7pm”

“See you at the Airport. Bye Dad”

He turned to Liz

“Great news, the House has sold. Not as much as I’d hoped but enough all the same.”

“When will you get the money?”

“Why? So you can spend it all”

“Perhaps. Isn’t that what wives do with their husbands money?” said Liz teasing Charlie.

“Pah!”

“What was that about the flights?”

“Dad is joining us on the flight”

“I’m pleased for you. You know to have someone close to you on the big day”

“Thanks darling”

“What was that about your Mother?”

Liz refused to use the word ‘Mom’ on principle.

“Dad hasn’t told her. She thinks he’s going to Pebble Beach with some old legal buddies to play Golf.”

“Will the lie stand up?”

“Yes. They are actually going to play Golf so it was apparently easy for them to go along with it. Well they are now after Dad suggested it and pledged $500 towards the bar tab”

They both laughed.

“Great. Did you get everything from the house all put into storage?”

“All Two and a half container loads of it. I never realised that there was so much stuff in that house”

“How much did you throw away?”

“Not nearly enough. Besides, I had to leave some for you to chuck out when we unpack it all”

Liz hit Charlie quite hard on the arm.

*

[A few days later and very early in the morning at Birmingham International Airport]

Liz, Charlie & Charles Sr had just landed after the flight from JFK. Bill was waiting to greet them in the arrivals hall.

“Bill, this is my Father, Charles” said Charlie to Bill when they met up.

“Pleased to meet you Baron Hardcastle” he said as he offered his hand.

Bill grinned back. Charlie had briefed him about his father’s tendency towards formality in times of stress.

“Will you cut the crap Charles? I’m just plain Bill to pretty well everyone”

“Ok. Bill pleased to meet you”

Bill turned to Liz who was enjoying the scene in the Arrivals hall of the airport.

“How was the flight Liz”, said Bill as the two hugged.

“Boring as usual. The in-flight movies were all rubbish so what’s new?”

Bill laughed.

“Great to have you all here. I thought that there was going to be a fourth?”

“There was. But Jake decided to bring his wife and she had a hairdressers appointment yesterday that she wouldn’t move”

They all laughed.

“They’ll be here tomorrow don’t worry”, said Liz.

“Come on, Kat is driving round and round. She can’t park to save her life”, said Bill as they all headed for the exit door.

Liz stopped dead in her tracks.

“Kat is driving a car?”

“Don’t worry Liz, we got the Range Rover converted for her. Hand controls only”

“Has her driving improved?”

“What do you think?”

“Then it’s a ‘no’ then?”

“It’s a no”

They only had to wait less than a minute before Kat came screeching to a halt.

“Hi Guys, pile in” shouted Kat through the open window of the Range Rover.

Bill & Charlie loaded their bags into the back of the Rover and they set off.

Luckily, it was fairly early on the Saturday Morning and traffic was light. Nevertheless, Kat’s somewhat cavalier driving style gave Charles several scares on the journey to Bills Home.

When the car rounded the last corner and ‘home’ came into view, Charles couldn’t help himself.

“That is sure a large house you have there Bill”

“A legacy of my ancestors I’m afraid. I’d like a smaller place but Kat here wouldn’t have anywhere for her races when it rains”

That bought a laugh from Liz & Charlie.

Charles was going to have to get to know Kat before he understood the joke.

*

Liz & Charlie gave Charles the grand tour that afternoon after a ‘pub lunch’. Charles was really blown away by the site of Bill behind the bar laughing & joking with the villagers.

When they got to the racing stables, Charles took Liz to one side and asked,

“Are you sure that this is not some act for me. What’s that with Bill serving in the pub? Why does he do that?”

Liz put her arm in Charles’s and walked him towards the indoor school where a few geldings were being put through their paces.

“Charles, I had all this with Charlie.

When he first met Bill he was serving behind that very bar counter. He works there several lunchtimes a week unless he has to be down in London on some House of Lords business.”

“But why? He owns all this” exclaimed Charles.

“Because he can and he enjoys it. He says it keeps him down to earth and more in touch with people”

“This is going to be hard to get used to”

“Charles, just relax. Bill & Kat are human just like you and me. None of us stand on ceremony. Be normal ok”

He whispered back.

“I don’t know what normal is around here”

“You’ll be fine. Charlie took a while to get it. I’m sure you will too”

“I hope so. I really hope so”

A little later, Charles said to Liz,

“I’ve never seen my son to happy. I had my reservations to begin with about you two but you two seem just made for each other. You have my blessing. It is a real shame about his Mother. I wish she’d even try to get to know you”

“Don’t worry Charles. You are here and I know that means so much to Charlie”

*

Jake & Gloria joined everyone the following day. Gloria was in total awe of the House and everything. Jake had visited the Estate before so he quickly adjourned to the Pub for lunch with Charles & Charlie leaving Liz to look after Gloria. Kat was, well, being Kat and in total control of the wedding organisation.

*

The great day dawned bright and fair. Liz & Gloria disappeared off into Market Harborough to get her hair done. The men got in the way of Kat who was charging around the place in her chair with clipboard on her lap supervising everyone and everything.

Around 11am, Liz arrived back with Gloria in tow and began to get ready for the ceremony that was due to begin at 1pm.

Gloria was like Kat in many ways, as she was naturally fussy about things. Normally, this caused Jake many headaches but today, was the day when ‘fussy’ was just right attitude to take.

When Liz put on the dress she had designed and made, she felt so proud.

As she admired herself in the mirror, she remembered her past, her troubles and everything that had gone before. Now here she was on her wedding day. A day to begin the rest of her life with the man she loved. The day to put all of her past troubles behind forever.

When all preparations were complete and Gloria pronounced Liz ready the main event, the butterflies really started to pound in her stomach.

“Gloria, there is one more thing to do”

“What sweetie? You look marvellous.”

“Can you do the laces up on my sleeves?”

“Why? They look great just as they are?”

“No, I designed it to be worn with them done up. Done up tight”

“If you say so?”

“Please”

Gloria did the laces up that literally tied Liz’s arms to her side.

“You won’t be able to lift your veil you know”

Liz grinned.

“That is the idea”

Then Gloria twigged.

“Oh my. You little she-devil” she exclaimed with a broad grin on her face.

*

“Are you ready Liz?” asked Jake as they assembled at the bottom of the main staircase in the house.

“Yes. I’m ready”

“Let’s go then”

Jake tried to take Liz’s arm but couldn’t.

“What’s this?” asked Jake.

“It’s the signature part of my dress. A little something for you to look out for on a catwalk in a couple of months time”

Jake grinned back.

“You look great.”

“Thanks Boss”

Jake escorted Liz into the Ballroom where the ceremony was being held.

Everyone was there. It looked a little odd when only 20 people were in the room that could take more than 200 but Liz didn’t mind. Her eyes were focussed on Charlie. He was smiling at he as she slowly walked towards him to the sound of the ‘Wedding March’.

Liz got to her place in the room and the sounds of the music died away.

Charlie lifted her Veil over her head revealing her face.

She was wearing false eyelashes for the first time. They really accentuated her eye shape. She fluttered them at her lover.

The registrar began the ceremony.

“We are gathered here to day to join this couple in civil partnership”

The next 10 minutes were a complete blur to Liz. She did remember saying a few things but the next thing she remembered for sure was the delicate kiss that Charlie gave her as the ceremony ended.

He took her arm and slowly walked her back out of the room. Her eyes were wet with tears of Joy.

Something that she’d never ever thought was possible for her had just happened. It didn’t matter if legally, it wasn’t a wedding but to her it was.

Her Wedding.

She was married. Something that she’d hardly dared to dream about as a child, a crazy mixed up cross-dressing child.

The rest of the day was just as much of a blur to Liz as the ceremony.

She was ‘walking on air’ with happiness. Charlie was by her side the whole time. At one point, Jake remarked that they seemed to be joined at the hip. Liz just held Charlie tighter.

Jake, Gloria & Charles left the reception in the middle of the afternoon to get the last flight to JFK from Heathrow. Charles exchanged kisses with Liz as he left the party happy that his son had found someone that would make him happy for a long time to come.

Liz & Charles made their departure not long afterwards. They were staying overnight in a 16^th Century Hotel near on the Thames Maidenhead before flying back to the US the following day.

Just before they left, Bill quietly gave Charlie an envelope and said,

“Don’t forget, we’ll see you there in eight weeks”

*

The flight west over the Atlantic seemed a bit of a let down after the previous few days.

Liz was strangely quiet on the flight.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing Darling”

“Why are you so quiet?”

“Is there anything wrong in being quiet especially after all the fun & games of yesterday?”

“I suppose not”

Liz decided to change the subject.

“Are you going to let on where we are going for our Honeymoon?”

Charlie smiled.

“The US”

“What do you mean the US?”

“I’ve bought us a 6 berth camper van. We can go anywhere we want for then next month or so. Neither of us has really seen the country and the vacation season is almost upon us. This way, we can just up sticks and move on whenever we feel like it”

Liz leaned over and kissed him.

“You nearly had me there” she said smiling.

Charlie wasn’t smiling.

“Oh shit. You meant it didn’t you?”

He nodded his head slightly.

“Then that is what we will do. I’m sure we can find a beach or two on our travels”

*

The RV and its occupants arrived in Las Vegas after some six weeks. Liz didn’t know it but they were a good two weeks early. The happy couple spent an enjoyable three days in a suite at one of the bigger casinos where Liz once again proved she had quite a bit of luck when it came to gambling when she won more than $13,000 at the blackjack table on their second night.

The next day, they visited a local Motorcycle dealership despite the protestations of Charlie about Motorcycles being dangerous and all that, he bowed to the inevitable.

“We could buy two you know. ‘His & Hers’?” suggested Liz half joking.

“One is enough thank you very much” he replied firmly.

“I don’t have a car like you do so this will do me nicely when we get wherever it is we are going”

“Liz… About my car?”

“Yes. What about it?”

“I sold it to buy the camper”

Liz went very serious for a moment.

“Why didn’t you say so? You really loved that car”

“I know but this was a bit more important”

She kissed him.

“As long as you don’t mind sitting on the back of the bike?”

“I’ve never ridden on a bike before. Motorcycles were never an option at home. Besides, you never said you had a motorcycle license”

“You never asked. Hey, its no big deal especially out here with these great open spaces”

Charlie kissed Liz

“So what sort of machine did you have in mind?”

“That one”, said Liz pointing at a bike with a White petrol tank.

“Why that one?”

“Because it is relatively small and thus easy to handle in traffic plus, it is made in Leicestershire”

Charles sighed.

“And I suppose that Bill has a large shareholding in the company that makes them?”

Liz shook her head.

“No, Triumph is a private company so no, he doesn’t own any shares in it. He does own some shares in a company that makes bits for them though”

Charlie sighed to himself and mentally accepted that Liz was going to get what she wanted.

He decided to appear to be interested.

“It looks very different to all the others on show, especially those red ones”

“Oh, you mean the Ducati’s. Yes. Different markets. Those Ducati’s are really street legal road race machines. The Triumph Bonneville is much more sedate. Ideal for us to enjoy ourselves together on it”

“How will we take it with us?”

“On a trailer silly”

“I can see this all getting rather expensive”

“I have my winnings. That will more than cover the costs including a leather one piece for me”

This last bit of information got Charlie a tad more interested.

Liz teased him.

“Naturally, I’d wear nothing underneath, just for you”

“You know exactly what buttons to push don’t you?”

“Oh yes my darling. That is why we are so good together”

Just then any further discussion was cut short by the arrival of a salesman.

“Hi, I’m Wayne. How can I help you”?

At the mention of his name, Liz got the sniggers.

“I’m sorry for my Wife. She gets like that sometimes.” Said Charlie apologising.

“She’s interested in the Bonneville”

Liz recovered a modicum of composure.

“Yes. Like a test ride on one if possible. I haven’t ridden one of the later Bonnies”

“I can tell from your accent that you are not from around here,” said Wayne.

“No, I was brought up less than 30 miles from where that was made. I take it is a Hinckley built machine”

Wayne gave up. He knew that there was a pretty woman who knew her bikes. His only recourse was to do the deal. There was no chance for him to play the salesman here.

“Yes. It is a Hinckley Model”

Liz smiled.

“Please come into the office and we can get you a test ride sorted out”

Half an hour later, Liz left the showroom on a similar machine for a test ride. A member of the workshop staff followed her on a Ducati. Charlie was left kicking his heels in the RV.

They returned some 20 minutes later after riding out to the Motor Speedway circuit on the north-eastern edge of the City.

“How was that?” asked Charlie as she took off her helmet.

“Fantastic. Really great to be on two wheels again”

The rider who had accompanied Liz was talking earnestly with Wayne. No doubt he was giving him a run down on the run.

Wayne sauntered over to the couple and said,

“I gather you know how to ride a bike then. Arron reports that you left him for dead a few times”

Liz grinned.

“It was fun. Tell Arron from me that he is a good rider but he doesn’t know the width of his bike very well”

“So I understand”

“Can we do a deal? I would be a cash buyer.”

Wayne’s face lit up.

“Please come this way”, said Wayne leading them into the showroom.

An hour later, the RV was on its way to a dealership in the north of Vegas to procure a trailer for the bike.

Liz was as happy as a sand-boy or should that be a sand-girl.

The purchase of the Bonneville was actually a godsend for Charlie. They went to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon during the next week and a half. They would park the RV in one of the many sites and go off for the day on the Bike. Charles started warming to the idea and got a kick out of the reaction to people when they saw it was Liz who was ‘up-front’.

He soon realised that she was a good rider and he was a crap passenger. On one bend, he leaned the wrong way and only a sharp cry from Liz stopped them from coming a cropper.

The other thing he had to admit that was that Liz really looked sexy in her black leather one piece which she wore as promised, without a stitch of clothing on underneath.

Fresh from a very welcome bit of sidetracking, the RV was travelling west along Interstate 80 near Elko when Charles suggested,

“Why don’t we stay the night here”?

“Why? It’s early yet and I’m sure we could make Reno before dark?”

“I’m a bit tired and fancy stopping early tonight”

“Ok darling. You are driving today so you decide.”

Charles breathed a small sigh of relief. They had an appointment to keep. One that Liz didn’t know anything about.

Charles pulled off into the RV Park that was near the Interstate Intersection.

When they’d hooked everything up and taken a shower, Liz was just about to get the bike off the trailer when Charles stopped her.

“Let’s not drive tonight. Why don’t we take a cab? Then you can have a drink as well?”

Liz smiled.

“Fair enough”

“Why don’t you put on something nice tonight?”

“What are you up to my darling?” asked Liz smelling a ‘rat’.

Charles smiled.

“Nothing my dear. Absolutely nothing”

“Yeah and pigs might fly”

Nevertheless, a couple of hours later, they arrived at the best ‘steakhouse’ in the town.

“Do you have a reservation sir?” asked the waiter in charge of seating customers.

“We are joining someone. I see them here already”

Liz looked around and then she saw two friendly faces in the far corner of the restaurant.

“You little so and so” said Liz.

“Why didn’t you say?”

“It is a surprise. What’s wrong with that?”

Liz kissed Charlie. The mild spat between them was gone with the wind.

The walked towards their friends hand in hand.

“Hi guys. Fancy seeing you in this neck of the woods”

Charlie shook hands with Bill while Liz hugged Kat.

“You two look great. Married life seems to suit you,” remarked Kat.

Charlie laughed.

“It has its challenges especially when the little wife decides to use her blackjack winnings to buy a Motorcycle”

Kat & Bill laughed.

“And she’s got you riding pillion?” asked Bill.

He nodded.

“He has his moments especially when he leans the wrong way” added Liz.

That really got the evening off to a good start.

When their orders had been taken, Liz asked.

“Ok guys. What is the real reason you have flown more than four thousand miles and then driven to some town that is little more than a truck stop in the interstate in the middle of nowhere?”

It was Bill who answered.

“We wanted to give you your wedding present ourselves.”

“Why couldn’t you have done that back in England before we left?” asked Liz.

“Because my darling sister Liz, the present is here.”

He paused.

“Well, not quite here but a bit to the north of here. Near the border with Idaho”

Liz thought for a few moments.

“Not that bit of land that your great great whatever uncle Marvin left for the family?”

Bill smiled and held Kat’s hand.

“That’s it”

“It’s not exactly a ‘bit’ of land though,” said Kat.

Liz ignored the hint and turned to Charlie.

“And you, my devious bastard husband has known all about this all along?”

Charlie couldn’t deny this.

“Yes” he said quietly.

“As Oliver Hardy would say, ‘Another fine mess you have gotten me into’”

They all laughed but Charlie soon became more serious.

“It might very well be the place where we can settle down and live our life as we want it on our own place”

“I’d thought more of a small house, with a white picket fence and a two car garage in a suburb somewhere,” said Liz with a grin on her face.

It took a second or two before the others got her joke.

“How big is this ‘bit’ of land?”

Bill left it to Charlie to answer,

“A little over 36 thousand acres”

Liz gawped.

“That’s huge. It must be how big? I can’t relate the size”

“One third of the size of the Isle of Wight”

“That’s frigging huge. Are you sure?”

“Yes I am. But…”

Liz cried,

“There has to be a but”

Bill persevered.

“As I was saying, but there is a complication. The land is next door to the local Indian Reservation. They are Paiutes I think. Anyway, they have a lease on the land that gives them the right to graze their horses and cattle for another 890 years.”

“So we can do sweet f.a. with it?”

“Not exactly. The lease document allows for the owner to use any part of the land for a residence with a maximum size of 250 acres. According to legend, great, great Uncle Marvin planned to move there but he died before he could fulfil that dream.” Said Bill.

Then he turned to Liz.

“Sis, you always refused charity even in your darkest days. This is the one time you can’t really say no. Kat & I thought that you & Charlie deserved a great start in your married life. This is it. It is also a long way from just about anywhere especially your Mother in Law.”

Charlie had been remarkably silent throughout this exchange between Bill & Liz came into the argument.

“Darling, can’t you see, this is our chance to build a life together. We’ve talked about this often enough. Your brother is giving us the head start we need.”

Liz smiled.

“And be about as far from a beach as you could be?”

“What’s with it with you and beaches? We went to the beach on Sanibel Island and you lasted barely half an hour before you got bored?”

Liz kissed Charlie and whispered,

“Can’t you tell when I’m pulling your leg?”

They kissed again.

“So we are all going there tomorrow?”

“That is the plan”

“Great, I’ll take Kat on the bike”

“Liz! You will do no such thing,” protested Bill.

Kat was grinning.

“Shut the hell up Bill. I’m going and that’s the end of it. Remember when you used to take me around the estate on that heap of rusty machinery you called a bike?”

“Hey what’s wrong with it?”

“How old is it? How much time did you spend fiddling with it? Then it blew up one day with us on it. Liz rides a new machine.”

“Ok. Ok. I get the message but that was before…”

“Yeah and that’s one bit of me that can’t get injured ever again. Now can it?”

Bill knew when he was beaten.

He pulled out a white handkerchief out of his pocket and waved it in surrender.

[Continued in part 13]